HOMEWORLD: CATACLYSM WALKTHROUGH
by Briareos Kerensky (briareos_hf@tiscali.it, briareos_HF), ver 3.X.
Table of Contents
1-Update History
2-History Briefing
3-Technology Briefing
4-Tactics Briefing
5-Formations Briefing
6-Ranks
7-Ships Briefing
8-General Tactics
9-Multiplayer Tactics
10-Walkthrough
11-Easter Eggs
12-Credits and misc
****************
1-UPDATE HISTORY
****************
16/10/2002- version 3.X. Updates only.
29/08/2002-version 3.X. Updates, additions and corrections.
23/07/2002-version 3.X. Other submissions!
17/03/2002-version 3.X. Wonderful. Someone still plays this great game. A
submission after nearly a year from the last one!
9/04/2001-version 3.X. I recieved a mail today. Someone asked me to give my CD
key because he/she lost is package: no way. Let me clearly state this: *N*O*
*W*A*Y*. Do not ask me for such things.
12/03/2001-version 3.X. Added in infos based on the new patch released by
Sierra (version 1.01).
Later versions (2.X). These versions will contain only your submissions.
02/12/2000-version 2.0a. Added the final (I think so) sections, Easter Eggs and
Ranks. Consider them an X'mas present ;)
30/11/2000-version 2.0. Final release! Walkthrough completed. I'll upload any
suggestion once every week if there are. Thanks for reading, and be ready for
more FAQs ;)
27/11/2000-version 1.8. Guess what? New, missions, of course! Numbers 10, 11,
16 and 17.
25/11/2000-version 1.6a. 100 Kbs reached and passed! Added missions 8 and 9.
24/11/2000-version 1.6. Added missions 6 and 7. Other minor corrections.
23/11/2000-version 1.5. Ship description is now complete, with full Somtaaw,
Beast, Turanic and Taiidan Ships. I alwasy though that these two sub-chapter
would be useless, but after some mission I decide to add Bentusi and Hiigaran
ships under the same section. Section 7 and 8 now online and I'm waiting your
ideas. Re-started the game to write down mission objectives and refresh memory
about initial missions, but reached mission 16. Walthrough section now contains
mission 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Minor corrections in all sections and text formatted
with WordPad.
19/11/2000-version 1.0. Section 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 fully completed. Section 6
needs Beast, Turanic and Taiidan ships deascription, but it contians all
Somtaaw ships. Sections 7, 8, 9 are under way. Currently playing mission 8, but
with few multiplayer experience.
******************
2-HISTORY BRIEFING
******************
15 years have passed after the Kushan finally reached their Home, Hiigara, and
killed the Taiidan Emperor. In these 15 years, the surviving Kushan built a new
society on Hiigara by waking up the colonist kept in cryogenic sleep; however,
these colonist had a rude awakening, as the first thing they did know was that
Kharak, the planet where they left family and friends was burned by the Taiidan
Imperial Fleet just before the MotherShip left the system. A number of these
colonists, called Sleepers, committed suicide. In the meanwhile, the Taiidan
Empire was torn apart by internal wars, and only a small number of planets was
willing to create a new Empire, this time called the Taiidan Republic, willing
to help the Kushan, the original inhabitants of Hiigara, to rebuild their
lifes. However, the Imperial Fleet, was willing to rebuild a new Empire, and
most officers left the Republican army for independent actions against the
Hiigarans, with the help of the Turanic raiders, an other plague of the know
universe.
On Hiigara, the Kiith built a new Council, to ensure equal rights to every
Kiith; soon the power of council fell in the hands of the major Kiiths, leaving
only few choices to the smallest ones. One of these Kiith, the Soomtaw, aided
by other minor Kiiths conquered the right to use the orbiting MotherShip, now
used as shipyard, for 45 days. Kiith Soomtaw built two vessels, the Faal-Corum
and Kuun-Lan, each nearly big as the MotherShip. The Soomtaw is a mining Kiith,
and these two massive ships were intended as independent vehicles for
long-range mining duties. A third vessel, this time a Frigate, the Clee-San,
was built for research duties. The Clee San is currently in the Coruc-Tel
System, while the Faal-Corum is in a deep-space mission. You will take command
of the Kuun-Lan and its fleet, which are returning to Hiigara, but...
************************
3-TECHNOLOGICAL BRIEFING
************************
In this secton you'll find description of the technology you have to research
to obtain new vessels during the game. A brief description of weapon types is
also provided.
----------------
--WEAPON TYPES--
----------------
+ Mass Drivers: projectile weapons. The weapon itself is small, so you'll find
at least a small-caliber gun on every Fighter. Bigger ships will have
mass-drivers in their secondary turrets. In Cataclysm, projectyle weapons are
useful against fast strike crafts, as they travel at an higher velocity and do
moderte damage to their thin armors. They have short/medium range values. Later
in the game Mass Drivers will be upgraded to Energy Cannons, a more powerful
version of the Guns with same stats.
+ Energy Beams: Capital Ships only. The most common energy beam is the ion
beam, mounted on a number of ships. Only Super-Capital Ships carry them in
turrets, as an ion cannon is usually big as a whole Frigate. Medium/long range
weapons with high damage values, mainly useful against Capital Ships, though a
turret-mounted cannon can deal with Strike Crafts and reduce them in scraps
within seconds.
+ Missiles: Missiles are the only weapon limited by ammunition supplies, but
bigger ships can build them automatically, so just make an intelligent use of
them. They were first developed to provide anti-Fighter capabilities to Capital
Ships, but then engineers began to develop smaller missiles to provide a more
powerful punch to Corvettes and Fighters. Though their damage value is lower
than the Beam's one, they are fired in groups and have a longer range.
+ Fields: some ships come equipped with a field generator capable of deflecting
enemy weapons or generating gravity wheels to stop enemy's Strike Crafts. Those
shiled are useful to protect valuable ships (Carriers, Cruisers,
MotherShips...) or to trap enemy vessels. The third type of field is the
Stealth, capable of masking crafts to enemy eyes and standard sensors. Only
advanced sensor suites will detect Stealth (or cloacked) units.
+ Plasma Bombs: large plasma spheres that do a lot of damage; they are a bit
slow, however, and the only crafts carring them are the Beast/Taiidan Attack
Bomber and the Taiidan Assault Frigate. Very effective against large ships and,
if they hit, against fighters.
+ Infection Beam: Only available to the Beast. Its Super-Capital Ships, as well
as the Beast MotheShip, use it. This beam infects enemy vessels and make them
fight for the Beast. Work only on Strike Crafts and Frigates, so use the
biggest ships you have to deal with the listed enemies. Note that the Beam
lasts for nearly 10 seconds and can infect every Strike Craft or Frigate is hit
within this arc of time.
------------------------
--SOMTAAW TECHNOLOGIES--
------------------------
FIGHTER DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: none
Lead to: Advanced Fighter Drive, Linking Technology
Needed for: Acolytes, Mimics
Notes: you need it for producing fighters. You have to research for it in
multiplayer and in the campaign mode you begin with this ability.
ADVANCED FIGHTER DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-reuisites: Fighter Drive
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Seekers, Acolytes and Mimics)
Notes: this will make your fighters (but not ACVs or MCVs) move faster.
LINKING TECHNOLOGY
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: Fighter Drive
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: ACVs and MCVs (upgrade for Acolytes and Mimics)
Notes: will allow to produce Composites Vehicles from the hangar bay or by
linking two Acolytes/Mimics
FRIGATE DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Advanced Frigate Drive
Needed for: Dervish, Hive
Notes: needed for all Frigates
ADVANCED FRIGATE DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: Frigate Drive
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Dervish, Hive)
Notes: like the Advanced Fighter Drive, will this will make your Frigates
moving faster
DESTROYER DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Advanced Destroyer Drive
Needed for: Shaman, Deacon
Notes: needed for Carriers and Destroyers
ADVANCED DESTROYER DRIVE
Research in: Hangar Module
Pre-requisites: Destroyer Drive
Lead to: nothing (upgrade for Shaman, Deacon)
Needed for: Archangel
Notes: needed for the almighty Archangel and like the other Advanced Drives
will make your Ships move faster.
ARMOR LEVEL 2
Research in: Armor Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Armor Level 3
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for all ships)
Notes: will make ships stronger
ARMOR LEVEL 3
Research in: Armor Module
Pre-requisites: Armor Level 2
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Hive)
Notes: will make ships stronger
FORCE FIELD LEVEL 1
Research in: Armor Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Force Field Level 2
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Sentinels)
Notes: will block incoming projectiles
FORCE FIELD LEVEL 2
Research in: Armor Module
Pre-requisites: Force Field Level 1
Lead to: Force Field Level 3
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Sentinels)
Notes: will block incoming projectiles and missiles
FORCE FIELD LEVEL 3
Research in: Armor Module
Pre-requisites: Force Field Level 2
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Sentinels)
Notes: will block incoming projectiles, missiles and energy beams.
HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTOR
Research in: Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: Mimics, MCVs
Notes: will allow you to build and mask Mimics.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Research in: Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing
Notes: will allow to produce more ships (each Kuun-Lan module will provide 10
SUs, while Carrier's 12.)
AFTERBURNER
Research in: Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: Minions
Notes: needed for Minions and their ramming attacks.
REPAIR SYSTEMS
Research in: Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Workers and Chieftains)
Notes: this will allow to use Workers as a mobile repair base.
SALVAGING ABILITY
Research in: Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Crystal Harvesting Capavility
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Workers)
Notes: essentially will allow you to use Workers as HW's Salvage Corvettes.
MICRO-SHIP CONSTRUCTION
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: Repair Bots, Phased Telemetry, Advanced Sensors, Infection Vaccine
(multiplayer only)
Needed for: Sentinel, Leech
Notes: needed for the two Pods and all other advanced technologies
REPAIR BOTS
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: Micro-Ship Construction
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for all Capital Ships)
Notes: auto-repair capabilites for Capital Ships.
PHASED TELEMETRY
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: Micro-Ship Construction
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: Leech
Notes: allows you to build Leech Pods
ADVANCED SENSORS
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: Micro-Ship Construction
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Seekers, Sentinels)
Notes: makes certain ships' sensor arrays' range longer
INFECTION VACCINE
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: Micro-Ship Construction
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Minions, Workers)
Notes: will allow you to reconvert infected ships. Available in multiplayer
only.
CRYSTAL HARVESTING CAPABILITY
Research in: Advanced Engineering Module
Pre-requisites: Salvaging Ability
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Chieftains, Shamans and Explorers)
Notes: will make you very rich
ADVANCED ION CANNON
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: Dervish
Notes: needed for Dervishes.
MISSILE TECH
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: Acolytes (upgrade), Deacon, ArchAngel
Notes: needed for the most powerful ships in the game
SIEGE CANNON
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Explorers)
Notes: give'em hell, boys
ENERGY CANNON
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for all projectile weapons)
Notes: will make projectile weapons more powerful
EMP WEAPON
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for ACVs)
Notes: special action ability for ACVs; this will temporarly disrupt enemy
vessels' drives.
QUANTUM EXPLOSIVE CHARGE
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Mimics and MCVs)
Notes: banzaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
REPULSOR WEAPON
Research in: Weapon Module
Pre-requisites: nothing
Lead to: nothing
Needed for: nothing (upgrade for Archangels)
Notes: repulsor weapon for ArchAngel
------------------------
-- BEAST TECHNOLOGIES --
------------------------
Unlike the Somtaaw, the Beast has to capture and absorbs upgraded enemy ships
and then upgrade its ships. I'm going to list Beast vessels and the technology
needed for them and the way to get them.
GENETICAL ENGINEERING MODULE
Support Systems
Infection Beam (upgrade)
Crystal Harvesting Capacibility (upgrade/capture)
SEEKER (captured)
Advanced Sensors (upgrade)
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
ACOLYTE (captured)
Fighter Engine
Linking Technology (upgrade/capture)
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
INTERCEPTOR
Fighter Engine
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
STEALTH FIGHTER
Fighter Engine
Cloacking Ability
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
ATTACK BOMBER
Fighter Engine
Plasma Bombs
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
ACV (captured)
Fighter Engine
Linking Technology (upgrade/capture)
EMP Weapon (upgrade/capture)
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
MULTI-GUN CORVETTE
Fighter Drive
Fast Moving Turrets
Advanced Fightert Engine (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
HEAVY CORVETTE
Fighter Drive
Heavy Corvette Upgrade
Advanced Fightert Engine (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
MULTI-BEAM FRIGATE (captured)
Frigate Drive
Advanced Ion Cannon
Advanced Frigate Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
HIVE FRIGATE (captured)
Frigate Drive
Micro-Ship Construction (captured)
Advanced Frigate Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
ION ARRAY FRIGATE
Frigate Drive
Advanced Ion Cannon
Cloacking Ability(upgrade)
Advanced Frigate Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
DEFENSE FIELD FRIGATE
Frigate Drive
Defense Field
Advanced Frigate Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
HEAVY CRUISER
Destroyer Drive
Heavy Guns
Advanced Ion Cannon
Advanced Destroyer drive (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Infection Beam (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
CARRIER
Destroyer Drive
Crystal Harvesting Capability (upgrade/capture)
Advanced Destroyer Drive (upgrade/capture)
Energy Cannon (upgrade/capture)
Infection Beam (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
RAMMING FRIGATE (captured)
Repair Bots (upgrade/capture)
Afterburner (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
WORKER
Repair Systems (upgrade/capture)
Salvaging Ability (upgrade/capture)
Armor Levl 3 (upgrade/capture)
PROCESSOR (captured)
Crystal Harvesting Capability (upgrade/capture)
Repair Systems (upgrade/capture)
Armor Levl 3 (upgrade/capture)
SENTINEL (captured)
Micro Ship Contruction (captured)
Force Field Level 1 (upgrade/capture)
Force Field Level 2 (upgrade/capture)
Force Field Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
Advanced Sensors (upgrade)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
COMMAND SHIP
Infection Beam (upgrade)
Crystal Harvesting Capability (upgrade/capture)
Support Systems (upgrade)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
CRUISE MISSILE
Fighter Drive
Missile Tech
Bio-Warhead
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Infection Beam (upgrade)
Armor Level 3 (upgrade/capture)
MISSILE CORVETTE
Fighter Drive
Missile Tech
Advanced Fighter Drive (upgrade/capture)
Armor Level 2
******************
4-TACTICS BRIEFING
******************
+Evasive: only Strike Crafts really benefits of this behaviour, as they are the
only vessels capable of tigh maneuvers. With evasive tactics, your units will
travel toward the opponent without keeping formation, each one using at maximum
efficiency its engines and firing only when sure that enemy fire won't hit.
Ideal for high-speed strafing runs on enemy Capital Ships with anti-fighter
guns, where tight formations usually result in a single ion cannon vaporing a
good number of crafts. Alos, when crafts using Evasive tactic reach red and
yellow health status, they immediately return to the nearest support ships for
repair
+Neutral: the standard behavior of new units; in Neutral mode crafts will
attach only if attached first, and then will return to inactivity until someone
fires against. It will be used in the single palyer (see the walkthru below),
but I've never seen someone using it in multiplayer games
+Aggressive: units will maintain formations, and when a target is within range,
they will fire. The drawback of this tactic is that crafts only do strafing
runs or maintain position to have an optimal aim over the targets, and won't
dodge any enemy projectile, missile or energy beam. Useful for Capital vs
Capital and Fighter vs Fighter dogfights.
**********************
5-FORMATIONS BRIEFING
**********************
+Delta: vessels will form a 2D triangle. Though it is a very classic formation
and very useful for parades, the top craft will be the most vulnarable to
damage, effectively broking the formation.
+Broad: an other 2D formations, but this time the vessels will form a straight
line. Deadly for crafts, especially for big groups, as the combined firepower
of a formation should give is centered around few elements. Quite effective for
Capital Ships as you can use it for positioning them along the enemy's front
and sides. I will describe this tactic later on.
+X: one of the best formations for fighters: the X formations allows relatively
small groups (maximum 15) to concentrate fire. Drawbacks? As the formations is
compact, enemy turrets will enjoy in destroying your fighters.
+Claw: the best formations for fighters, and if you have some Frigates, even
for them. Recomended for maximum 15 crafts, like X formation, the Claw
maximizes the effects of concentrated fire of an X formation while reducing the
compactness of the formation.
+Wall: ideal for large groups of ships and every Capital Ship formation, the
wall creates a...wall (¬_¬...) of ships, maximizing firepower. If you have
large fighter formations (10+) or at least 4/6 Frigates, the Wall will be THE
choice.
+Sphere: though I use this formation mainly for defensive purposes, I know that
someone uses it for single Capital Ships with large Fighter escorts. In a
Sphere formation, the bigger ship will be the center of the sphere, while the
lighter ones will produce a defensive bubble around it. When usued cleverly,
this formation will break any assault.
*******
6-RANKS
*******
Cataclysm records combat kills and experience of single ships; with an higher
rank ships will travel faster and their weapons will be more powerful. Ranks
are shown by 4 purple stars over the health bar; 0 stars means that the ship in
brand new or killed very few crafts; 4 stars indicates that this is an elite
ship and survive to a large number of fights. (Note: I have the italian version
of the game, and the translaion might be uncorrect, and increase percentages
are IMO)
+ 0 stars: Flight Sergeant: all ships start with this rank. Speed and firepower
are the standard values liste into Ships briefing
+ 1 star: Lieutenant: this rank is awarded to ships which survived few battles;
speed and firepower are pretty the same of the first rank.
+ 2 stars: Squadron Leader: Firepower and speed increased of 20-30%.
+ 3 stars: Wing Commander: Firepower and speed increased of 30-40%; begin to
pay attention to your ships: even outnumbered 2:1 Wing Commanders should
destroy a Flight Sergeant wing with few or no losses.
+ 4 stars: Air Marshal: the highest rank a ship can achieve, the increase of
speed and firepower is about 40-50%.
****************
7-SHIPS BRIEFING
****************
First of all, a brief description of ship classes and main capabilities.
+ Micro-Ships: a new class introduced in Cataclysm, Micro Ships are very small
ships piloted by AI routines. They have specialized tasks, and are not intended
to be used for a stand-up fight.
+ Strike Crafts: Fighters and Corvettes. Fast and Maneuverable, these ships are
useful for fast-raiding parties and harras larger ships until rienforcmentes
arrives. Fighters lacks the turrets and firepower of the Corvettes, though they
are faster.
+ Capital Ships: a group divided into Frigates and Super-Capital Ships.
Frigates features a decent firepower and armor protection while mantaining a
decent maneuverability; this class features a large number of vessels, each
with differents armaments. Super-Capital Ships are Carriers, Cruisers,
Destroyers and every other kind of ship capable of delivering massive firepower
or build Strike Crafts and Frigates. To counteract one of these behemoths, use
a similar vessel or a group of Frigates. Worst of all, these crafts are usually
accompained by fighter escorts.
+ Non-Combatant Ships: ships dedicated to recor, repair and harvesrting. Bigger
ships usually mount only defensive turrets. They are not intended for combant,
so use them for their main task.
+ MotherShips: massive ships capable of building any other vessel class, except
other MotherShips. Your main task is to defend yours, though the armor and
firepower (combined with the possibility to move them) can support attack
vessels. However, defend it.
Note: under the coverage section I put the descripton of the weapon, showing
caliber (small, medium, heavy), type (projectile, missile, ion; energy will
substitute projectile after you develop Energy Cannons) and DPs (Damage
Points); if this depicts two values, the first describes the standard damage,
the second the upgraded value; these values are the base for every vessel. The
value regards a single weapon, so if a ship has 4 guns, doing 8 DPs, the total
damage will 32. I divided turrets into two categories: sponson turrets can
track enemies in limited arcs but they aren't fixed nor can turn 360°. Normal
Turrets are mounted on a fixed mount and can fire in 360° degrees. Enjoy.
16/10/2002 adittion: while searching infos on HomeWorld 2 (can't wait it!), I
stubled on this beautiful website, HomeWorld Shipyard:
http://www.well-of-souls.com/homeworld/hws/index.html
It contains very detailed infos on every ship in both HomeWorld and HomeWorld:
Cataclysm. I'm not going to copy them in this document as they are not my work
and the site definitively is worth of a visit. Check it out.
-----------------
--SOMTAAW SHIPS--
-----------------
SEEKER class reconaissance fighter
Mass: 41 tons
Armor: 25
Firepower: 40
Coverage: 4% (single forward-fixed small projectile weapon, 7/14 DPs)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1050 m/s
Required Tech: none
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Sensors
Advanced Fighter Engine
Energy Cannons
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 40
SU Cost: 2
Available from: mission 1
A reconaissance fighter. The fastest and most maneuverable ship in the game,
the Seeker is used for scounting missions. Thanks to its sensor array, this
fighter has the same sensor range of a Capital Ship, and its low UR cost make
it ideal for recon missions in unexplored areas (or where the enemy lurks). It
is imperative to withdraw it from any engagement, as the single Mass-Driver
cannot deal with any armed ship. Always keep 2 or 3 Seekers: the first will
patrol the area around the MotherShips, while the second will scout for your
attack force.
ACOLYTE class heavy fighter
Mass: 90 tons
Armor: 70
Firepower: 85
Coverage: 6% (two forward-fixed small projectile weapons, 7/22 DPs; plus two
missiles, 420 DPs when upgraded)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 825 m/s
Special Actions: Link (requires two Acolytes)
Missiles
Required Tech: Fighter Engine
Upgraded Tech: Energy Cannon
Missile Tech
Linking Technology
Advanced Fighter Engine
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 75
SU Cost: 2
Available from: mission 1
The Acolyte is the most powerful fighter in your fleet: though armor protection
is lower than the Taiidan's Triikor and the Turanic's Bandit, the firepower,
coverage and speed will compensate its relativel thin armor. The Acolyte will
be your main vessel for the first part of the game, and will continue to serve
you througout the entire game as escort for bigger vessels or fast desense
force. Two or three groups of 20 Acolytes each can repel attacks form all but
the heaviest vessel, and the combined firepower of them can deliver serious
damage to everything. Missiles are useful to provide additional firepower
against large vessels. Do not use them against fighters and fast-moving
corvettes, they are too maneuverable.
MIMIC class Infiltration ship
Mass: 55 tons
Armor: 20
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 750 m/s
Special Action: Mimic
Link (requires two Mimics)
Required Tech: Fighter Engine
Mimic Tech
Upgrade Tech: Linking Technology
Quantum Explosive Charge
Advanced Fighter Engine
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 70
SU Cost: 3 (2 in version 1.00)
Available from: mission 2
Developed after Turanic raiders nearly fooled the Soomtaw fleet, the Mimic is
capable of mimicking (¬_¬...) enemy or friendly Fighters or Corvettes, as well
as small asteroyds. The main purpose of the Mimic is to gather intelligence, as
the fighters ahs no weapons. The only way a Mimic can inflict damage is to slam
it on a enemy ships, but this will destroy the Mimic. This kamikaze tactic is
most efficent when Quantum Charges are installed on Mimics. However, I've never
found suicide attacks a good way to win.
SENTINEL class defense pod
Mass: 21 tons
Armor: 350
Firepower: 290
Coverage: 15% (single small projectile on sponson turret, 21/42 DPs, forward)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 250 m/s
Special Action: Force Shield
Required Tech: Micro Ship Construction
Upgrade Tech: Energy Cannon
Force Field Level 1
Force Field Level 2
Force Field Level 3
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
Advanced Sensors
RU Cost: 70
SU Cost: 3
Available from: mission 5
The smallest manned class in your fleet, the Sentinel is basically a
point-defense craft, capable of generating stron energy shileds capable of
deflecting all enemy shots at the highest level. The form a perfect shield
you'll need from ten to fifteen Sentinels: propelry positioned in sphere
formation, those crafts can protect even the MotherShip. Recomended to screen
mission objectives from enemy attacks or the biggest elements of your strike
force.
LEECH class breaching pod
Mass: 26 tons
Armor: 30
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1250 m/s
Special Action: Leech
Required Tech: Phased Telemetry
Upgrade Tech: Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 40
SU Cost: 2
Available from: mission 6
The second and last Micro-Ship serving in your fleet, the Leech is completely
automated. This pod is capable of evading all standard sensors, attach itself
to an enemy vessel and slowly eat it away. The Leech can also remain attached
to a vessel and broadcast sensor datas, but this won't allocate damage to the
enemy. The third special action the Leech can perform is to do damage to an
enemy vessel and then dock with the MotherShip converting the damage don with
resources. Not bad after all, but this pod must be used wisely to be effective,
especially if the enemy has advanced sensors online.
AVENGER class corvette
Mass: 180 tons
Armor: 140
Firepower: 170
Coverage: 6% (four forward-fixed small projectile, 8/26 DPs)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 600 m/s
Special Action: Unlink (produces two Acolytes)
EMP
Required Tech: Fighter Dirve
Linking Technology
Upgrade Tech: Energy Cannon
EMP Weapon
Advanced Fighter Drive
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 150
SU Cost: 4
Available from: mission 1
When you develop linking technology, you will be able to produce Avengers ACVs
(Acolyte Composite Vehicle): the first consits in producing them from the
MotherShip, the second unites two Acolytes in a single ACV. The Avenger has
every Acolyte characteristc times two, except maximum speed (slighlty slower)
and maneuverability. When an ACV unlink, it produces two standard Acolytes. The
link/unlink procedure takes about five seconds, and the ACV itself is a very
useful craft, though it lacks turrets and armor protection that any other
corvette has; however, speed and maneuverability are superior, and the Avenger
can dogfight with other fighters: usually, a gruop of Acolytes will be destroy
by a group of ACVs. The EM Pulse is useful in guard duties, especially against
Beast Cruise Missiles: by disabling the Missile's drive system the ACV will
have plenty of time to line with the targets and blow it to pieces.
MARTYR class infiltration corvette
Mass: 110 tons
Armor: 40
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 550 m/s
Special Action: Unlink (produces two Mimics)
Mimic
Required Tech: Fighter Dirve
Holographic Emitter
Linking Technology
Upgrade Tech: Quantum Explosive Charge
Advanced Fighter Drive
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 140
SU Cost: 6 (4 in version 1.00)
Available from: mission 2
Like the Avenger, the Martyr is formed of two Mimics. The Martyr can mask
itself as Frigates or big asteroids. The suicide attack (especially with
Quantum charges) are now VERY effective, and if are willing to spare some
resources, a group of Martyrs can destroy Frigates and badly damage
Super-Capital Ships. I love them :)
MINION class Heavy Tug
Mass: 12.900 tons
Armor: 4.700
Firepower: 2.500
Coverage: 6% (single forward sponson turret with medium projectile, 50/100 DPs)
Max Velocity: 398 m/s
Special Action: Ram
Required Tech: Afterburner
Upgraded Tech: Advanced Ion Cannon
Repair Bots
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
Infection Vaccine
RU Cost: 650
SU Cost: 10
Available from: mission 1
The first Frigate you will able to build. Poorly armed for a Frigate, as the
Minion features a single Mass Driver, the Frigate exists only to do its special
action: ram. Though "physical attacks" may sound strange and uneffective when
compared to energy beams, you have just to use them one time to fell in love
with its effects; the Frigate fetures a normal engine used for moving and two
afterburners used neraly the target: the afterburners are capable of moving an
enemy Frigate, and combined attacks larger ships. Not enough, the Minion
features a laser in its bow section, an effective close-range weapon when the
Frigate touches the target. Such ramming attacks are useful to physically move
Capital Ships while the lighter Strile Crafts engae the real target.
HIVE class advanced drone frigate
Mass: 9.900 tons
Armor: 3.800
Firepower: 1.400
Coverage: 12% (two forward sponson turrets with medium projectiles, 50/100 DPs;
6 Swarmers)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 390 m/s
Special Action: Swarm
Required Tech: Frigate Drive
Micro-Ship Construction
Ugrade Tech: Energy Cannons
Reapir Bots
Advanced Frigate Drive
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
RU Cost:
SU Cost: 20
Available from: mission 6
The Hive Figate is the direct descendant of Homeworld's original Drone Frigate.
The Hive class is more effective, as it moves faster, has fixed point defense
armament and its drones are capable of swarming attacks. This may sound
interesting on paper, but the Hive Frigate can be easily overwhelmed by a large
number of Corvettes.
DERVISH class multi-beam frigate
Mass: 10.200
Armor: 4.000
Firepower: 3.900
Coverage: 90 % (5 turrets -front, top, bottom, sides- with small ion,
11 DPs)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 370 m/s
Required Tech: Frigate Drive
Advanced Ion Cannon
Upgrade Tech: Repair Bots
Advanced Frigate Drive
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 700
SU Cost: 12
Available from: mission 8
If you loved the Ion Cannon Frigate, this will drive you crazy, only by hearing
its designation. The multi-beam Frigate is a fast moving assault vessel,
capable of engaing any type of target with great efficiency: the turrets allow
it to hit any fast-moving objects, and the ion beams projected by them can
inflict serious damages to other Capital Ships. The real drawbacks of this
vessel is its relatively thin armor, and the fact that a turret cannot gather
enough power to match a fixed ion cannon (yeah, right: "Call me Machine.
Doomsday Machine.").
SHAMAN class carrier
Mass: 129.000 tons
Armor: 65.000
Firepower: 4.200
Coverage: 80% (four turrets -2x top, sides- with medium projectile,
30/60 DPs)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
Required Tech: Destroyer Drive
Support Systems
Upgraded Tech: Energy Cannons
Crystal Harvesting Ability
Repair Bots
Advanced Destroyer Drive
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 3400
SU Cost: 0
Available from: mission 11
The only self-sufficent ship in the game. It doesn't require SUs, and it gives
you 40 points in this way. Plus you can build up to 6 support systems on every
Carrier. Build two Carriers (the maximum you can) and all support systems and
start building Destroyers. Not enough, the Carrier can build all Strike Crafts
and Frigates, repair them, offers additional docking bays and hardpoints for
Workers. As the are too precious to risk in assaults, use them as replace for
Chieftains, Workers will benefit in protection. Infection Beams doesn't affect
Carriers, but will allocate damage.
DEACON class destroyer
Mass: 28.000 tons
Armor: 16.000
Firepower: 8.500
Coverage: 30% (two forward sponson turrets with big ion, 11 DPs; 4
turrets -2x bottom, sides- with big projectile, 44/80
DPs; 15 missiles)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Required Tech: Destroyer Drive
Missile Tech
Advanced Ion Cannon
Upgraded Tech: Energy Cannons
Advanced Destroyer Drive
Repair Bots
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 3000
SU Cost: 38
Available from: mission 11
After the Carrier, you will build at least a Destroyer. Thouhg this massive
ship features a lot of weapon systems, including the excellent anti-fighter
missiles, the rear and top of it are relatively unprotected, and it must engage
targets within its front firing arc. Like the Carrier, Infection Beams damage
only.
ARCHANGEL class Dreadnought
Mass: 152.000 tons
Armor: 85.000
Firepower:24.000
Coverage: 80% (2 top turrets with big ion, 16 DPs; 4 big
energy turrets -2x top, 2xbottom-, 120 DPs; 47
missiles)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 280 m/s
Special Actions: Repulsor
Required Tech: Advanced Destroyer Drive
Missile Tech
Energy Cannons
Advanced Ion Cannon
Upgraded Tech: Repulsor Weapon
Repair Bots
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 6800
SU Cost: 80
Available from: mission 14
It requires a lot of RUs and SU, but an Archangel can destroy a Heavy Cruiser
singleheadly and its escort of fighters. This massive ship, derived from the
Bentusi Ship, features the most powerful weapons array of the whole game: the
47 missiles can easily dispatch Strike Crafts, the two Ion Cannons and the
Turrets can devastate a Destroyer in seconds. Its armor is so thick that only
massed Ion beams will inflict considerable damage; and like all other Capital
Ships, it cannot be infected. When the situation becomes critical, the
Archangel can use its Repulsor: this weapon won't affect Super-Capital Ships,
but it will repulse (¬_¬...) any other craft in a 360° arc, inflicting damage,
and probably destroying fighters. If you face an Archangel, you have to
overwhelm it, with at least two Destroyers firing on its sides and multiple
Strike Crafts and/or Frigates engaging it in fast strafing runs. Or build your
Archangel and be sure to engage first.
WORKER class Resource Collector
Mass: 5.200 tons
Armor: 1.500
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 425 m/s
Special Action: Harvesting, Salvaging, Repairing
Required Tech: nothing
Upgrade Tech: Infection Vaccine
Repair Sistems
Salvaging Ability
Repair Bots
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 500
SU Cost: 4
Available from: mission 1
This Corvette-class craft is mainly used for collecting resources, but later in
the game it will serve you as Salvage Corvette and Support Frigate. In
multiplayer is also capable of returing infected ships under your control. The
armor is thin, so be wary if enemy fighters get too near...the ideal thing is
to assign Carriers or Chieftains for guarding/docking bay duties. Maintain at
least six workers, this will garauntee a good RU injection as well as a good
salvaging contingent.
CHIEFTAIN Mk3 class ore processor
Mass: 89.000 tons
Armor: 45.000
Firepower: 2500
Coverage: 80% (4 turrets -2x top, sides- with medium projectile,
20/40 DPs)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s
Required Tech: Hangar Module
Upgrade Tech: Crystal Harvesting Ability
Energy Cannons
Repair Systems
Repair Bots
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 1100
SU Cost: 13
Available from: mission 1
A mobile docking bay for Workers. Nothing more, nothing less. Though it has a
good armor, it cannot stands direct attacks from Frigate class vessels. Its
turrets can defend Workers from fighter attacks, but a fighter squadron should
protect them. It is alos capable of repairs from its side-mounted turrets.
KUUN-LAN, EXPLORER class deep space mining vessel
Mass: 613.000 tons
Armor: 98.000
Firepower: 5400
Coverage: 70% (six turrets -front, top, 2xsides- with big projectile,
44/88 DPs)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 110 m/s
Special Action: Siege Cannon
Required Tech: nothing
Upgrade Tech: Energy Cannons
Crystal Harvesting Capability
Repair Bots
Siege Cannon
Support Systems
Armor Level 2
Armor Level 3
Your MotherShip. If it is destroyed, you'll lose. Its name is Kuun Lan, and is
the second Explorer class vessel launched by Kiith Somtaaw; the first vessel,
the Faal-Corum, is slightly less efficient than yours, as its modular bays are
30% smaller than the ones on the Kuun-Lan. You'll start the singleplayer game
with the ship configured in this way: one Hangar Module (capable of building
Seekers, Acolytes, Workers and Chieftains) and two massive cargo bays. Later
on, the cargo bays will be detached and destroyed to make room for research
modules and support systems. The research modules are Engineering, Weapon,
Armor and Advanced Enginering, plus the Hangar module, the only capable of
physically building ships. Support Systems will give you SUs for expanding your
fleet, and the MotherShip can support twelve of them. Without any module the
MotherShip will give you 70 SUs, the Hangar Module additional 20 SUs and each
support module 10. The MotherShip features two Fighter bays on the nose and the
Hangar module will provide fighter, corvette and Frigate docking bays. Under
them, the large green area will build Super-Capital Ships. Note that an
opponent can destory single modules, and the first thing the AI will target
will be your Hangar module. If destroyed, you'll have to rebuild it first
before build fighting ships. The MotherShip heavy guns and armor will be a good
addition to your strike force especially in the first missions, where your
fighters won't be enough to match other forces, though you must pay attention
in engaging Destroyers, Cruisers and Dreadnoughts. The Kuun-Lan special action,
the Siege Cannon, will deliver long-range massive firepower; you will have to
research and build it first, but the great fire support it could give
counterbalances the high cost and long research session. The Siege Cannon,
however, is extremely inaccurate, and has a maximum range; longer the range,
more inaccurate the Cannon will be; before firing, the Cannon need s a little
charge time and after in needs to be recharged. Just be sure that your ships
aren't within the explosion area. A collateral effect on a Siege Cannon is that
enemy could track your position, has the projectile will be seen by everyone.
In multiplayer games, the Kuun Lan won't start with any module.
Last note on the Siege Cannon: the Kuun-Lan travels faster than a single
projectile, so be sure that the Kuun-Lan is standing still before firing. I was
moving the Mothership, and issued a fire order; with great surprise the Siege
Cannon fired and I saw the projecile out the barrel, then the Kuun-Lan was
under in yellow conditions, with all modules destroyed and no sign of the
projectile on the sensor manager; ergo, the projectile hit the Kuun-Lan as it
was moving slower than the Command Ship.
SUPER ACOLYTE class Heavy/Ion Fighter
Mass: unknow
Armor: 350 (approx)
Firepower: 6.000 (extimated) (2 forward fixed small ion, 45 DPs)
Coverage: 6% (extimated)
Maneuverability: very high (approx)
Max Velocity: 825 m/s (approx)
RU Cost: 300
SU Cost: 5
Available from: mission 17
You will recieve the blueprints of this slayer at the end of mission 17. It is
the exact copy of the Bentusi Acolytes, and you can build them when and how
many (SUs permitting) you want. Effective against anything, though other
fighters can pose problems. They're not available in multiplayer.
(;_;)
Update: as someone asked questions on their availability, I'm going to write a
breif paragraph on this; please note that this will spoil the game, though if
you have read this far, it pretty useless, however...
Super Acolytes are given to you in the last part of mission 17 by the Bentusi.
You'll be able to build them only for this part of the game: it is impossible
to build them in multiplayer or in skirmish mode or in single player campaign
(well, if someone found a way to hack the code to make them always
available...). I do not think that finishing the game in Very Hard will unlock
them, but never finished the game with this difficulty, if someone ever tried...
---------------
--BEAST SHIPS--
---------------
INTERCEPTOR
Mass: 90 tons
Armor: 85
Firepower: 65
Coverage: 5% (single small projectile, forward position, 9/29 DPs)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 810 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Engine
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Fighter Drive
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 65
SU Cost: 2
Based on Turanic Bandit class Interceptor. This ship cannot rival with the
Acolyte, and they should be used in groups to use them at their theorical
maximum. If you played the original Homeworld you should know that these crafts
are no match even for a group of Scouts, so do not base neither attacks or
defenses on these fighters. Capture enemy crafts or switch to Corvettes ASAP.
CLOACKED FIGHTER
Mass: 90 tons
Armor: 80
Firepower: 75
Coverage: 5% (tow forward mounted small projectlie, 9/29 DPs)
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 750 m/s
Special Action: Cloacking
Reuqired Tech: Fighter Drive
Cloacking Ability
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Fighter Drive
Energy Cannon
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 95
SU Cost: 2
This craft is based on Homeworld's Cloaked Fighter. Capable of masking its
presence to all but the advanced sensors, this craft is a bit fragile but can
strike efficently poor protected fighters and can establish hidden defense
lines.
ATTACK BOMBER
Mass: 60 tons
Armor: 90
Firepower: 86
Coverage: 5% (two forward fixed small plasma bombs launchers, 60 DPs)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 640 m/s
Required Tech: Fighter Drive
Plasma Bombs
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Fighter Drive
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 120
SU Cost: 3
Based on the Taiida Attack Bomber. My favourite fighter, both technically and
graphically. Though a bit slow for a Strike Craft, the raw firepower of a group
of 20 Bombers can devastate Frigates in seconds. The Plasma Bombs are slow, so
they are a bit ineffective against other Strike Crafts, but the idea of a fast
moving, small and cheap craft is a good idea. Do not pretend to destroy Super
Capital Ships with a group of them, but they big groups in wall formation can
support larger units in all-out attacks.
CRUISE MISSILE
Mass: 490 tons
Armor: 68
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 650 m/s
Required Tech: Corvette Drive
Missile Tech
Bio-warhead
Infection Beam
Upgrade Tech: Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 250
SU Cost: 4
The only "Strike Craft" "thought" by the Beast, the Cruise Missile is
pratically a Corvette with no crew and weapon: its job is to slam onto enemy
vessels and infect them. This tactic works best against slow targets and with
their poin-defense turrets fooled by faster vessels. The Missile's armor is
thin, and they can be easily destroyed by other fighters.
MISSILE CORVETTE
Mass: 775 tons
Armor: 1.400
Firepower: 320
Coverage: 60% (two forward-fixed missile launchers)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 490 m/s
Required Tech: Corvette Drive
Missile Tech
Upgrade Tech: Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 320
SU Cost: 4
Based on Turanic Brigant Missile Corvette. Very efficent against all enemy
fighters, as the missile are the most efficent anti-fighter weapons in the
game. If the Interceptors are uneffective, these Corvettes will be a pain if
you use only fighters to fight them. The most efficent way to destroy them is
to use Frigates or other Corvettes.
HEAVY CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 1.700
Firepower: 200
Coverage: 50 % (two medium projectile sponson turrets, 30/60 DPs)
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 500 m/s (550 m/s in version 1.00)
Required Tech: Corvette Drive
Heavy Corvette Update
Upgrade Tech: Energy Cannons
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 350 (250 in version 1.00)
SU Cost: 5 (4 in version 1.00)
One of the most powerful Corvette designs, the Heavy Corvette is based on the
one found in the original Homeworld and used by the Kushan. The armor
protection is excellent for a Corvette, and the two sponson turrets under the
vessel's nose can inflict moderate amounts of damage to every craft. Like all
other Corvettes, this one is a great asset in escort duties.
MULTI GUN CORVETTE
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 730
Firepower: 380
Coverage: 78% (6 medium projectiles, 14/28 DPs on turrets -2x front, 2xsides-)
Maneuverabilty: medium
Max Velocity: 570 m/s
Required Tech: Corvette Engine
Fast Tracking Turrets
Upgrade Tech: Energy Cannons
Armor Level 2
RU Cost: 275
SU Cost: 5
The best escort Corvette; based on the Taiidan Corvette of the same class,
groups of Multi-Gun Corvette can easily dispatch fighters and other corvettes
easily. Used with evasive tactic and relatively loose formations this corvette
can deal some damage on Frigates and Super-Capital Ships thanks to its
excellent coverage.
ION ARRAY FRIGATE
Mass: 13.550 tons
Armor: 5.100
Firepower: 3.500
Coverage: 6% (single forward-fixed big ion, 35 DPs)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 230 m/s
Special Action: Cloack
Required Tech: Frigate Drive
Advanced Ion Cannon
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Frigate Drive
Cloacking Ability
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 250
SU Cost: 4
Based on the Turanic Ion Array Frigate, this Beast version features a Cloacking
device that can be a nasty surprise for forces without Advanced Sensors active.
Its single Ion Cannon can deal big amounts of damage to any ship, but it is not
mounted on a turret, and the Frigate is not so manueverable to aim Corvettes
and Fighters, and it useless and defenseless against them. The Cloack ability
can be useful for surprise attacks, but it must de-cloack like the Cloacked
Fighter to fire. Nice Frigate, however.
DEFENSE FIELD FRIGATE
Mass: 13.000 tons
Armor: 4.650
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 310 m/s
Required Tech: Frigate Drive
Defense Field
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Frigate Drive
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 900
SU Cost: 10
Basically useless, as the Beast has the more powerful Sentinel MicroShips.
However, if you had no chance to capture such ship, the Frigate might (MIGHT)
become useful to partially screen your fleet against projectile attacks. There
is no way to upgrade the shield, but it is always active and do not need energy
to be activated. Defenseless against all types of crafts.
CARRIER
Mass: 121.000 tons
Armor: 65.000
Firepower: 4.000
Coverage: 75% (4 turrets -2x sides, bottom, top- with medium
projectile, 30/60 DPs; 8 infection sponson turrets -4x
front, top, bottom, sides-)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 290 m/s
Special Action: Infection
Required Tech: Destroyer Drive
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Destroyer Drive
Crystal Harvesting Capability
Energy Cannons
Armor Level 3
Infection Beam
RU Cost: 3500 (3400 in version 1.00)
SU Cost: 0
The only Super-Capital Ship aside the Heavy Cruiser in the Beast fleet, the
Carrier is based on the original Taiidan vessel, and maintains all previous
stas, plus a more powerful armor and 8 Infection Beams distributed evenly
across its hull. The bulk of these beams is located on the front, the only real
weak side of the original Carrier: this leaves no choices but to use
Super-Capital Ships for attacks. One Destroyer is enough, as the turrets won't
be a problem for the Deacon's heavy armor. Every Carrier will give you 96 SUs.
HEAVY CRUISER
Mass: 131.000 tons
Armor: 77.000
Firepower: 20000
Coverage: 30% (4 sponson turrets -front- with big ion, 24 DPs; 6
turrets -2x top, 2xs ide, 2x bottom- with big
projectile, 60/120 DPs; 5 infection beams on turrets - 2x top, 2x
bottom, front-)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 245 m/s
Special Action: Infection
Required Tech: Destroyer Drive
Heavy Guns
Advanced Ion Cannon
Upgrade Tech: Advanced Destroyer Drive
Infection Beam
Energy Cannons
Armor Level 3
RU Cost: 6500
SU Cost: 70
Beast's ultimate weapon. Based on the Taiidan Heavy Cruiser, the Beast version
benefits of 5 Infection Beams, capable of converting assault forces in escort.
Armed with 4 Ion Cannons on front-mounted sponson turrets and 6 projectile
turrets capable of covering sides and rear areas, the most efficent way to
fight against a Heavy Cruiser is to use other Super Capital Ships, avoiding all
other crafts for infection dangers. Beast armada has not Destroyers, and the
Cruiser has lower SU cost: this theorically means that Beast players can build
more Heavy Cruisers into battle than Somtaaw's Destroyers/Dreadnoughts.
BEAST COMMAND SHIP (usually named Stradetch)
Mass: 565.000 tons
Armor: 94.000
Firepower: 4600
Coverage: 80% (6 turrets -front, top, 2xsides-, with big projectile,
80/160 DPs; 4 Infection Beams -top,
bottom, sides-)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 110 m/s
Special Action: Infection
Required Tech: nothing (OK, you need something for creating this
Ship, but I will spoil it later...)
Upgrade Tech: Infection Beam
Crystal Harvesting Ability
Support Systems
Armor Level 3
This Command Ship is better than yours, and, IMO, of the original Homeworld
MotherShip. The firepower is less powerful than the Kuun Lan's own, but have a
bigger damage potential and wider covered area. It can build ships in the same
way as other MotherShip class vessels, but it can temporarly pushes its systems
far behyond the standard perfomances at expense of ship's health. The Beast
will automatically stop this redirection after its health drops below the 50%.
Its Infection turrets are really effective to stall Strike Crafts and Frigate
-based attacks. Like its Soomtaw counterpart, it gives a total of 90 SUs, plus
10 SUs for each Support module you build, up to twelve. The Beast CommandShip
features automatic repair ability, as it is not capable of upgrading its
systems for accepting Repair Bots. No more to say, as it is basically part of
an Explorer class vessels infected by a bio-mechanical virus (oops, I spoiled
it! ;)
In multiplayer games, the Command Ship will start with no Support Modules and
no Infection Capacity; it will have its turrets and will be able to build basic
fighters and research basic technologies, as per technology tree.
SUBVERTED SHIPS
These ship must be captured, retired and any unknown tehcnology researched
before put them under full-production. I list only their names, as their are
equal to their counterparts; they are all Somtaaw ship.
SEEKER class Reconaissance Fighter
ACOLYTE class Heavy Fighter
ACV class Corvette
DERVISH class Multi Beam Frigate
HIVE class Drone Frigate
MINION class Ramming Frigate
SENTINEL class Defense Pod
WORKER class Resource Collector (you can capture it, but you can
build them from the begining; in version 1.01 it has a lower
health of the original Worker)
CHIEFTAIN Mk3 class Ore Processor (you can capture it, but you can
build them from the
beginning)
NAGGAROK (alien vessel of unknow class)
Mass: unknow
Armor: 200,000 (extimated)
Firepower: at least 20.000 (at least 4 ion cannons on turrets -2xfront,
2xbottom)
Coverage: 100% (extimated)
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 500 m/s (extimated)
Special Action: Eat Capital Ships, production of Cruise Missiles
The Naggarok is the last Beast-infected ship. Its original will be revealed in
the walkthrough, but it can eat Capital Ships, has no weapons of its own, moves
at fighter speeds (and it's big as the Kuun-Lan) and is nearly undestructible.
Addition: the Naggarok is able to produce Cruise Missiles...nice, uh ;) ?
------------------
--HIIGARAN SHIPS--
------------------
This section contains all Hiigaran ships that take a marginal active part in
the game.
FIRELANCE class ion cannon frigate
Mass: 13.000 tons
Armor: 4.020
Firepower: 3.040
Coverage: 2% (one forward-fixed big ion, 14 DPs)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
SU Cost: 2
Deadly against Capital Ships and slow-moving targets, but unable to engage
fighters. You will recieve four of these Frigates during the game.
REVELATION class destroyer
Mass: 26.000 tons
Armor: 15.000
Firepower: 7.055
Coverage: 35% (2 big ion, 14 DPs on forward sponson turrets; 2 big
energy guns, 70 DPs on two top turrets)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 295 m/s
SU Cost: 6
Not as effective as the Deacon class Destroyer, the Revelation can deal damage
mainly to other Capital Ships, but it lacks turret coverage and maneuverability
to track fast-moving targets. You won't be able to build these Destroyers, but
you will recieve two of them during the game.
IMPERATOR class Carrier
Mass: 58.000
Armor: 29.000
Firepower: 3020
Coverage: 60% (four small projectile, 9 DPs on turrets -sides, top, bottom-)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 210 m/s
The mighty Carrier will be only a problem during the game. You won't directly
control an Imperator class Carrier, but sometimes a particular Carrier will
assist you, building Strike Crafts (usually Interceptors) or staging an assault
without your help.
CLEE-SAN, deep space research vessel
Mass: 11.000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 10.000 (extimated)
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low (extimated)
Max Velocity: 300 m/s (extimated)
The Clee-San is the third ship built by Kiith Somtaww, and it is smaller than
the two Explorer class vessels, as it can dock in their Hangar Bays. The
Clee-San moves fast as a Frigate, but all other stats are extimated.
FAAL-CORUM, EXPLORER class deep space mining vessel
Mass: 613.000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 98.000 (extimated)
Firepower: 5000 (approx)
Coverage: 70% (six turrets -front, top, 2xsides- with medium projectile, 40 DPs)
Maneuverability: very low (extimated)
Max Velocity: 110 m/s (maybe slighty higher)
You won't directly control your sister ship, but its crew will assist you
building new ships: so far, the Faal-Corum built Acolytes, ACVs, Ramming and
Multi Beam Frigates. It has two engines, so it should be faster than the
Kuun-Lan, but features less powerful guns. Armor and tonnage should be the same
though it has no place for Support Modules or Siege Cannons and has two
Research Modules instead of four.
-----------------
--TURANIC SHIPS--
-----------------
BANDIT class interceptor
Mass: 70 tons
Armor: 75
Firepower: 65
Coverage: 5%
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 780 m/s
Equal to the Interceptor used by the Beast, though this time it is the standard
vehicle for the Turanic Raiders. An easy kill.
THIEF class corvette
Mass: 660 tons
Armor: 1.200
Firepower: 200
Coverage: 10%
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 550 m/s
Special Action: Mimic
Steal
An other nasty surprise, this Corvette was the first craft to mount Mimic
technology. It can steal (not salvage) enemy ships: this mean that the required
number of these Corvettes (2 for a Frigate, 5/6 for Super Capital Ships) can
salvage any kind of ship even if undamaged. I don't know if this is correct,
but in one mission I was losing an undamaged Processor to three Corvettes. It
has also forward fixed guns and is very maneuverable. Match it with groups of
Acolytes/ACVs.
BRIGAND class missile corvette
Mass: 775 tons
Armor: 1.300
Firepower: 320
Coverage: 60%
Maneuverbility: high
Max Velocity: 500 m/s
An other craft captured by the Beast and put in full production. The original
version is faster but has less armor.
ASSASIN class ion array frigate
Mass: 13.550 tons
Armor: 3.500
Firepower: 4.800
Coverage: 6%
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 245 m/s
Special Action: cloack
The Turanic version of this anti-capital Frigate has higher top speeds but less
armor when compared to the Beast counterpart. Swarm them with Acolytes/ACVs.
LORD class attack carrier
Mass: 109.000 tons
Armor: 58.000
Firepower: 7.500
Coverage: 40%
Maneuverability:low
Max Velocity: 235 m/s
This particular Carrier-class vessel is catalogated as "attack carrier", has
its weapon systems are more efficent than the other Carriers currently in
service: it features a forward-fixed Ion Cannon
and it is well protected by projectile turrets mainly mounted on sides and
bottom. The maneuvarbility can pose a problem, as the Lord can efficently aim
its cannon against Capital Ships, and the turret complements can pose more than
a threat for Strike Crafts. Like all Carriers it can produces units, but I've
never seen one building Frigates: the AI keeps building Corvettes. You will
encounter only one during the game, and the best way to attack it is to target
rear quarters and top. Do not understimate its Ion Cannon.
TURANIC RAIDER OUTPOST
Mass: unknown (approx. 550.000 tons)
Armor: unknown (approx. 100.000)
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: none
Max Velocity: stationary object
You will encounter this outpost later in the game, and it won't pose a threat
by itself, but its large defense fleet will pose a problem. It has no weapons,
but its armor is very tick. It won't move in any way, so destroy its escort
first.
------------------
--TAIIDAN SHIPS--
------------------
SUs are used when you capture ships; Yiulius Leonard
(leonard.yulius@lycos.com)sent me the SU costs and weapon stats. He also
pointed out that the Heavy Cruiser stats may change from mission to mission.
Neither I nor him know why this happends, but I'll appreciate any guess on it.
VARIIS class proximity sensor
Mass: 47 tons
Armor: 600
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: very high
Max Velocity: 1000 m/s
Though designed to be an highly mobile sensor array, it will serve as a
stationary early-warning system for most planets. Can detect Mimics, Cloacked
Units, Leech Pods and other particular units. As they won't move, they will be
an easy target for anything in your fleet.
TRIIKOR class interceptor
Mass: 60 tons
Armor: 72
Firepower: 75
Coverage: 6%
Maneuverability: ver high
Max Velocity: 775 m/s
The only fighter that can match the Acolytes: fast and powerful, the Triikor
will be the standard fighter of all Taiidan fleets and groups of them (usually
5/6 in Delta formation) usually herald attacks by Destroyers and Attack
Bombers. Concentrate fire on the first fighter of the formation and the others
will break, exposing their back. Your Acolytes will then destoy the remaining
fighters in second. They will be annoying when several Destroyers and other
Capital Ships will attack.
SEEJUR class defender
Mass: 70 tons
Armor: 78
Firepower: 190
Coverage: 70%
Maneuverability: high
Max Velocity: 385 m/s
Usually found protecting Heavy Cruisers and Carrier, the defender has three
guns mounted of normal turrets. Able to tigh turn but low top speed, the Seejur
can be a problem if deployed in large numbers and you use only Acolytes against
them. EMP or missile them, or simply convert Acolytes in ACVs.
KAARK class attack bomber
Mass: 60 tons
Armor: 80
Firepower: 86
Coverage: 5%
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 650 m/s
The Taiidan counterpart of the same craft used by the Beast. the Taiidan
usually screen them wwith Interceptors and heavier units to let them fire at
will against your MotherShip.
TIIRSHAK class salvaging corvette
Mass: 900 tons
Armor: 1.100
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 450 m/s
Special Action: salvaging
You won't envountr large number of these vessels, and they won't pose a problem
anyway. To capture your ships, the computer has fisrt to weaken them, and I
think he prefers to destroy your fleet. The most vulnerable vessels are Workers
and Chieftains, but if stationed fighters for escort, the corvettes will be
sitting ducks.
WOODAN class minelayer corvette
Mass: 820 tons
Armor: 1.250
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 425 m/s
Special Action: minelayer
The Corvette itself is not a problem, but the mines can kill fighters and
corvettes in one hit and severly damage Super-Capital Ships. The mines are more
effective than the first Homeworld, as they are maneuverable enough to track
and hit fighters. To deal with them, send fighters in advance and when you pick
enemy signals, immediately issue attack orders in aggressive tactics. Hopefully
you won't lose any craft in this process. The corvette is a very easy kill,
though you won't encounter many of them.
DIIRVAAS class multigun corvette
Mass: 750 tons
Armor: 700
Firepower: 380
Coverage: 78%
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 600 m/s
Taiidan commanders (aka the AI) will throw them in combat in groups of 5/6 in
Delta formation, mostly against Capital ans Mother -Ships class vessels. Easily
killed by their turrets and heavy weapons. The will be a pain for fighters.
Other stats listed under Beast Ships section.
HEESHK class support frigate
Mass: 12.500 tons
Armor: 3.800
Firepower: 2.000 (2 medium energy, 80 DPs, on frontal sponson turrets)
Coverage: 50%
Maneuverability: medium
Max Velocity: 450 m/s
SU: 10
Designed to support fighters, the Support Frigates are now basically useless,
as fighters no longer require fuel. Now able to repair other vessels, this
Frigate is neraly defenseless against every knid of crafts, as the two cannons
on the vessel's nose cannot cover rear, top and bottom areas. The repair
ability is annoying, however.
KORAAL class gravity wheel
Mass: 10.500 tons
Armor: 3.400
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
Totally unarmed, the gravity wheel projects a gravity field able to stop any
craft smaller than a Corvette; this leaves to Capital Ships the job of
attacking it.
KUDAARK class assault frigate
Mass: 15.000 tons
Armor: 4.500
Firepower: 2548
Coverage: 75% (2 forward-fixed medium plasma, 40 DPs; 4 medium energy, 88 DPs
on frontal turrets)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
SU: 10
The best Taiidan Frigate. Armed with four projectile cannons mounted on turrets
and two forward-fixed plasma bomb launchers, the Kudaark will prove itself
effective against both Strike Crafts and Capital Ships. The weakest parts of
the vessel are the rear areas, where no weapons can track enemy ships. Swarm
them with fast fighters or ACVs (corvettes aren't maneuverable enough to evade
the ship's gns) or match them with other Frigates.
SAJUUK COR ion cannon frigate
Mass: 13.000 tons
Armor: 4.200
Firepower: 3.040
Coverage: 2% (large ion, 32 DPs, forward-fixed)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
SU: 10
Like the Turanic's Ion Array Frigate, the Sajuuk Cor mounts only a single,
forward-fixed Ion Cannon.
TIIFAL defense field frigate
Mass: 13.000 tons
Armor: 4.400
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 325 m/s
See Beast's Defense Field Frigate stats.
SKAAL TEL class destroyer
Mass: 26.000 tons
Armor: 15.000
Firepower: 7.055
Coverage: 35% (2 forward fixed large ion, 26 DPS and four big energy, 128 DPS
-upper side-)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 295 m/s
SU:24
You will find group of three Destroyers accompaying Heavy Cruisers during
assaults against your MotherShip. Engage with Capital Ships, though fighters
will be too fast to be shoot down, but they lacks efficent weapons against the
Destroyer's heavy armor.
SKAAL FA class missile destroyer
Mass: 28.000 tons
Armor: 12.500
Firepower: 4.550
Coverage: none (theorically 100%)
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 295 m/s
SU:24
Deadly against fighters, and can deliver serious damages to other ships from
afar thanks to its four missile launchers. To engage this vessel use Capital
Ships and attack the rear and left/right sides, where the missiles have
difficulties targeting enemies. Do not use fighters, they will be destroyed in
seconds.
SAARKIN CHO class carrier
Mass: 121.000 tons
Armor: 60.000
Firepower: 4.000
Coverage: 75%
Maneuverability: low
Max Velocity: 300 m/s
The original version of the Beast carrier lacks the front-mounted Infection
Beams and has an higher top speed. Engage with whatever you have (fighters are
too maneuverable to be efficently tracked by its guns, and Capital Ship won't
suffer nearly any damage if you engage the frontal areas of the ship).
QWAAR JET class heavy cruiser
Mass: 131.000 tons
Armor: 75.000
Firepower: 20.000
Coverage: 30% (4 large ion, 42, on two frontal sponson turrets; 6 turrets
-2xtop, 2xbottom, sides- with big energy, 250 DPs)
Maneuverability: very low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s
SU: 30
This Heavy Cruiser lacks Infection Beams and has an higher top speed, but other
stats match the ones of the Beast's Cruiser.
COLONY SHIP
Mass: 15.000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 4.000 (extimated)
Firepower: none
Coverage: none
Maneuverability: low (approx)
Max Velocity: 200 m/s (approx)
It is not a military ship, as it is used to ferry people across the galaxy. Has
a docking bay for Strike Fighters.
NOMAD MOON artificial satellite
Mass: 700.000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 15.000 (extimated)
Firepower: at least 12.000 (extimated; six Bentusi Ion Cannons at zenith,
nadir, north, east, west and south points)
Coverage: 80% (extimated)
Maneuverability: none
Max Velocity: stationary
Special Action: Repulsor
The Nomad Moon is the Republicans' secret weapon. It is an artificial satellite
without movement ability, but can unleash a repulsor shockwave once every 10/20
seconds thanks to the two emitters at nadir and zenith points; when the
repulsor is recharging its six ion cannons can deal with the intruders. Those
Cannons fire in the same way as a Bentusi Ion Cannon but do not allocate a
large amount of damage (a Dreadnought alone should be able to inflict severe
damage to the Moon before being destroyed). Its sensors are unable to track
Strike Crafts, but has a full escort and a Proximity Sensor net.
-----------------
--BENTUSI SHIPS--
-----------------
SUPER ACOLYTE
Mass: 100 tons (approx)
Armor: 80 (extimated)
Firepower: 6.000 (extimated) (2 forward fixed small ion, 45 DPs)
Coverage: 6% (extimated)
Maneuverability: very high (approx)
Max Velocity: 825 m/s (approx)
Welcome the ultimate fighter. The original version of the Acolyte (don't you
know that the Acolyte chassis was given you by the Bentusi?) is maneuverable
like all other fighters, matches your own version in speed (IMO) but has
superior armor and firepower. What kind of weapon does it use? Ion Cannon. TWO
Ion Cannons, exactly where the guns used to be. Engage them with Capital Ships,
other crafts will be destroyed in seconds.
BENTUSI TRADE SHIP, belonging to the Carrier class
Mass: 600.000 tons (extimated)
Armor: 120.000 (extimated)
Firepower: at least 15.000 (three Bentusi Ion Cannons on forward sponson
turrets)
Coverage: at least 40%
Maneuverability: medium/low
Max Velocity: 250 m/s (extimated)
The Bentusy are a peaceful people, but produced the basic chassis of the
Acolyte and gave you the Ion Cannon and Swarm technology in the first
Homeworld. The Super Acolyte is the best fighter (and possibly the best ship)
in the game, and the Trade Ship could be the best MotherShip: turn rates are
awesome (they matches Frigates), they are nearly undestructible and the only
weapons I've seen so far are three Ion cannons mounted on sponson turrets
positioned on the vessel's nose. Even massed Super-Capital Ships will have
trouble against them, especially because they can produce Super Acolytes...
Last minute note: this ship belongs to the Carrier class. Now try to imagine a
Bentusi MotherShip-class vessel.
About the Ion Cannons of this ship, classified as "Bentusi Ion Cannons": though
the program tells that they aren't more powerful than a Firelance/Sajuuk Cor
frigates (big, ion, 16 DPs) the beam allocates 4 or 5 times this damage and it
recharges faster than standard Ion Beams...in fact, if the target is near to
the guns, the cannons will just hit the target repedeatly without pause. Only
Trade Ships have this kind of beam, while Super Acolytes have "normal" Beams.
******************
8-GENERAL TACTICS
******************
Particular mission tactics will be described under the appropriate section
(number 9); this section exists to speak about some general points that haven't
to be forgot.
The Kuun Lan is more armed and protected tha the first MotherShip (IMO), but
always keep a wing of ACV to defend it, and draw enemy fire away from its
fragile modules. If the enemy launches a frontal attack, the module that will
recieve more damage will be the Hangar Module, if the attack comes from sides
and bottom the support modules and from top, research modules. Additionally,
the Siege Cannon is a good protection for the latter modules, but be careful: a
Siege Cannon requires mre time and RUs to be built than any other module, and
you might need it to support your attack forces. If one module is destroyed,
especially Hangar and Support types, immediately rebuild them. The ACVs are
protected enough to hold their position until you build bigger crafts or attack
forces return; the best thing is to unite the ACV mobility with the firepower
of the Kuun Lan's cannons. In this way, fighter and corvette attacks will be
always repulsed; if large number (5+) of Capital Ships attack you, move your
MotherShip and call for reinforcements (build new crafts or recall the strike
team). Always keep a Seeker within the MotherShip's gun, later on cloacked
attacks will prove deadly, especially if Ion Array Frigates appear over your
Ship.
Strike teams should be composed by at least 10 Acolytes/ACVs (the one you
like...Acolytes have missiles and they are maneuverable, but won't live long
against Corvettes; ACVs are a bit slow but they can usually survive to any
attack if backed by larger Ships), 4/6 Multi-Beam Frigates and 2/3 Destroyers.
Add 1/2 Dreadnoughts if you can. With this force, and with the help of their
special attacks (use the Repulsor when you are swarmed by Strike Crafts and
EMP/Missiles against big foes), you should be able to destroy any opponent.
Remember to keep fighters/corvette and Frigates away from Beast Capital Ships,
as it can infect them.
The Processor should always follow Workers, for protection and fast harvesting.
When you can, retired the Processor and use a Carrier to protect your Workers.
Make your ships dock frequently, and retire them from battles for repairs when
they reach a red status: even a Dreadnought can be destroyed if overwhelmed. If
you need new ships desperately and you have Carriers, divide production between
the avaiable construction lines. If you are building a Super-Capital Ship, do
not attack, and maintain a good Frigate/fighter escort around the Kuun Lan:
Super-Capital vessels are built outside the MotherShip, and are susceptible to
damage, and they cannot use their weapons. Try to match the enemy forces: do
not send Seekers against Heavy Cruiser as tey will be destroyed and/or
infected, but use the right number and type of ships.
Sebastian Mundt (sebastian_mundt@gesis.de) said:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If the Beast infects your fighters with its beam immediately pause the game.
Since the infection beam will hit only one ship and then jump over to the next,
self-destruct the nearby fighters in the formation and also blow up the already
infected ones - if possible. That should reduce losses for your fleet to a
minimum and it should prevent you from being attacked by ships that used to be
yours later.
Marco NKB (hiforce@crosswinds.net) asks this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Briareos,
I read your fantastic WalkThrough. I want to ask u this:
how can I reapair a group of damaged Strike Crafts with workers? There is a key
to bandbox-repair them?
Or, there is a way to configure workers to auto-repair damaged ships?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mhmm...All ships can be repaired by Workers with the Repair System technology
(select one or more Workers then move the cursor over any allied damaged ship
and the cursor will change into a red cross over a white circle; right click to
issue the order if you play with Cataclysm settings or double left click if you
play with HomeWorld settings; see options for this) or by docking them; select
the Crafts you want to be repaired and press the "D" button; they will dock
with the nearest Carrier/MotherShip and will automatically exit (if auto-launch
is on) when the repairs are done. Of course, Destroyers and Dreadnoughts won't
be able to dock.
There is no way to order Workers to auto-repair ships: Strike Crafts can dock,
like Frigates, and all Capital Ships (Frigates, Carriers, Destroyers, Cruisers,
Dreadnoughts, Mothership) auto repair themselves when they are upgraded with
Repair Robots.
Johnny Wu (someone_mk2@hotmail.com) wrote this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have 25 muti beam frigates in wall formation pretty much everything
dies. Although that would take up 300 SUs, it's very effective. The infection
beam that the beast capital ships launch usually infects 2 frigates each shot,
and the max I lost was 13 frigates fighting against 3 capital ships with
support. The frigates are almost impossible to kill except by infection beams.
As for Naggarok, it didn't even finish eating my frigate before it got blown to
pieces.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I still prefer the old tactics, with Super-Capital Ships leading and assault
group, though it could be interesting.
Maullar.Maullar (maullar_maullar@yahoo.com) sent me this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey. I just read your FAQ for Cataclysm on GameFAQs.
It's quite good. Here's some information you might
want
-On Very Easy mode, it IS possible to destroy the
Carrier and its escort protecting the resourcers on
Mission 1. I did it with ~25 Acolytes.
-On Mission 6, if you let any Interceptors report back
to base, they WILL send their ENTIRE force at you. I
had a very hard time with it on Very Easy mode.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
that's correct about mission 6, if you let an Interceptor report back (or just
your units are within visual range of the base), the entire army will attack
you. Also, when the Cruiser will be under attack (or when it will be destroyed,
still have to understand), the entire Taiidan force will move toward you.
**********************
9-MULTIPLAYER TACTICS
**********************
If someone reading this document played Starcraft, he/she would know that Zergs
and Terrans were able to do rush attacks with their Zerglings and Marines. This
tactic was one of the first someone masters, and in little maps was almost
letal. If this someone passed from Starcraft to Homeworld/HW Cataclysm, he
would have noticed that using the first fighters in groups is not a good
choice: first because the MotherShip or the Transport you have to destroy is
heavily armored and has big guns that could destroy fighters in second, and
then because the other player will surely have fighters to support these guns.
Like Homeworld, Catclysm features two "races", but they have almost identical
abilities and technology trees. In fact, I always played with a Somtaaw fleet,
and did only one or two matches with Beast fleets: Somtaaw have stronger base
fighters (the Acolytes), that will turn dead if the player develops Missile
Tech, plus the Hiigaran Kiith fleet has the full range of ships (Fighters,
Corvettes, Frigates, Carriers, Destroyers, Dreadnoughts), while the Beast has a
large number of Corvette-type crafts with few Capital Ships, and the most
effective of them, the Heavy Cruiser, requires a lot of RUs, SUs and time to be
completed (I'm speaking about a "normal" fleet, with no captured technology).
And the Somtaaw's voices are cooler than the Beast's.
+ Let's start to see Somtaaw Tactics.
Acolytes will be present every where, in defense and offensive role. Their
mobility and firepower, combined with the capability of forming a Corvette
class ship in few seconds will prove very useful, especially if you master how
to use special actions. For Acolytes, use missiles against Frigates and larger
vessels, as they will miss smaller ships. ACV's EM Pulse is useful against
Strike Crafts, to halt them down and destroy them nearly effortlessy. The
Somtaaw features a good number of Frigates, most of them with specialized in
anti-fighter duties: the Multi-Beam and Hive Frigate will be useful to track
and destroy enemy fighters. The Dervish is also a powerful lineholder, even if
the larger covered area means that its Ion Cannons are less powerful than the
single Cannon mounted on a Ion Frigate. The best way to use the Dervish is to
manually maneuver them to fire in the enemy's flanks or rear sides, where its
protection (both armor and weapons) will be lower, keeping an aggressive
tactic, as the Frigates will continue to fire while moving. The Hive frigate is
useful against Strike Crafts only, as its Swarmers are too little to seriously
arm other Capital Ships; the Hive standard armament is a bit weak and forward
fixed, so it will have to manuever to tracking fats enemies; combined with the
relatively thin armor, this Frigate won't live long against Destroyers or Ion
Frigates. The last Firgate, the Minion Ramming Frigate can deal serious damage
o large vessels, especially if two or more Frigates rams in the same time and
from the same direction a vessel: not only the vessel will be moved by the
Frigate's afterburner, it will be damaged by the laser hidden in its nose. This
action is useful when large enemy groups counting Capital Ships among them
attacks fighter forces: use your Minions to move some ships, and use an evasive
tactic and immediately call reinforcements for your fighters: though well
armored and relatively manueverable, the Frigates will perish under the long
range fire of Ion Cannons. If the match drags for some time, someone will be
able to produce Carriers first and then Destroyers. So far I've never seen
someone building Dreadnoughts, nor I've ever done, I always won (or beaten :P)
before. Carriers will be the first Super Capital Ships in order to build, as
you'll need their additional SUs to expand your fleet. Just build one, and then
concentrate on producing other Frigates (you will be able to produce 2/3
Multi-Beam Frigates in one minute), and if you have enough resources, begin to
build a Destroyer or two. Then you would need the second and last Carrier for
you first Dreadnought. Nothing much to say about the Super Ships in
multiplayer: if you can, hyperspace them near the enemy MotherShip while you
Strike Crafts arrives or already engages enemies. Always concentrate their fire
on the enemy MotherShip. If you hyperspaced them, your opponet will try to
hyper his Command Ship to safety while the rest of the fleet engages your
behemoths. What about your MotherShip? Defend it and use it in attack or
defense only when the situation is desperate; rember you can move it across the
map. Do this often, as this will confuse your opponent, and use a Seeker to
track your enemy. Seekers should be used in this way: one circling (use
circular waypoints) your MotherShip, one tracking your enemy, a third will
accompain your Strike Team and a fourth will guard the area between you and
your opponent. How to use the Siege Cannon: first, be sure that you ships
aren't along the projectile's trajectory, then try to be closest as possible to
the target: as the range increases, the accurancy lowers. Do not use it for
destroying very near objectives, as the Cannon needs some seconds to charge and
the projectile will need other time to reach the impact point; last, but not
least, the Siege Cannon is armed with explosive rounds, so the explosion might
damage your ships. You just need to be lucky with this one, really. However, if
the Cannon hits, it will destroy and/or severly damage Destroyer class vessels.
Fighters and Corvettes? Mhmm...Propably they won't survive...
+ Beast tactics:
The first thing to do is to build Interceptors and Corvettes (the Multi gun
will be the best, though the Missile will do fine), then research the Infection
Beam: as this research is long, use the Beast's special ability to use
CommadShip's health to research faster. Build a strong defensive wing (10 Multi
Gun Corvettes with some Interceptors), and if the ohter player(s) does not
attack, begin to research and build Frigates and Cruise Missiles. If that
player attacks, try to infect as many ships as possible (I conseil
Acolytes/ACVs and Multi-Beam Frigates; maybe upgraded with Energy Cannons and
Armor Level 2) and repel the attack. hen begin to build a strike team: 6/8 Ion
Array/Multi-Beam Frigates, one Carrier/Heavy Cruiser and Corvette escort. Go to
your opponet and use your Super Capital Ship to infect other (probably even
more advanced) ships, decomission them and inflict as much damage as possible,
and retreat when your wing reaches 50% losses within Capital Ships. Hyperspace
if the situation is desperate. Cruise Missiles should be used against small
Strike Teams were Multi Beam Frigates are escorted by few fighter: use
ten/fifteen Missiles, and assault one Frigate with three Missiles each. This
should bring you new ships and technology. This tactic works best when escort
or the Frigates are harrassed by fighters. If you don't capture any enemy ship,
your assaults will be based on Ion Array Frigates: cloack them and be sure that
no Advanced Sensors are in the area, reach the enemy MotherShip and attack it
by surprise. The counterattack will be hard to repel, but the support of Attack
Bombers would be enough. Attack Bombers acn be effective if used in large
groups (15+), though do not pretend to destroy Super Capital and Mother Ships
with these fighters alone. If you are going to build Carriers and Heavy
Cruisers, remember to use the "build faster" capability. Theorically, two
Cruisers and 4/6 Ion Frigates with fighter and Corvette escort will be enough
to destroy the enemy's MotherShip. Theorically.
+ General Tactics:
Move the MotherShip, especially when you repulsed an attack, after an
hyperspace jump and after firing the Siege Cannon.
Do not send all of your crafts against your enemy. You attack could be stopped
and you won't have any ship defending your "base".
If your enemy build Carriers, you have to destroy them too: the computer will
declare victory after one player won't be able to build ships.
It is possible to track an enemy MotherShip from a Siege Cannon projectile,
just minimize your map's zoom, and move the camera to the zenith. Observer the
moving yellow dot and trace an imaginary line from the impact point to the
point where the projectile started. Send a Seeker or a Mimic and see where your
enemy really is.
Protect your Workers.
Do not play aganst only one player: getting used to his/her tactics will make
uttelry easy to defeat him/her, but not all palyers use same tactics.
Fine-tune your computer: disable any useless icon-try program, and put your
Message Program (ICQ, Odigo, AOL, Clique Me..) into Invisible mode. Check the
matches' ping rates to avoid slow fights and avoid to slow them down. If you
play on a low-end PC (I play on a P200MMX), disable all effects, reduce the
model complexity, the audio channels and whatever can takes important clocks of
you CPU: the net is slow by itself, and slowing down the game more could spell
the difference between victory (ie: the PC does not accept or "ear" a click
from your mouse becuase it's calculating the light sourcing on 1.544.186
polygons).
Buy the fastest computer and modem (ISDN, ADSL, Satellite uplinks...whatever. I
use a 33.6 Modem and the game is really slow) you can.
Last minute note: all Soomtaw Strike Crafts (but not the Workers) need to dock
with the Kuun-Lan or a Carrier to be updated. Beast ships can update their
systems without docking, even if they are Strike Crafts (though they need to
stop and remain inactive for some time). Also, the best tactic to destroy the
Somtaaw mothership is to hyperspace right behind it, as your capital ship can
be able to target the main engine; attacking from sides will usually destroy
hangar moduels first, increasing killing time. Beast mothership can be attacked
by all sides, as there are no modules absorbing damage.
¢ ® ì § (criz_hughes@hotmail.com) want to add this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. When playing as Somataww, use a dreadnaughts repulser to defend against
seige cannon attacks, (as the projectile nears you, activate the repulser and
it will bounce back to the source- marginally disconcerting if he/she has fired
from reasonably close range!!)
2. When playing as beast, put a defence feild frigate next to the seige cannon
of your opponent, this will cause the energy ball from the seige cannon to
explode as soon as it leaves the barrel. (a cheeky and devastating way to
cripple an opponent)
3. If timed correctly, seige cannon firing can take place while the blue
hyperspace box is covering the mother ship from the front backwards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
**************
10-WALKTHROUGH
**************
So far, I ended the game in Normal mode. I do not know how the game will be in
Very Hard difficulty, but probably production speed will be lower, you'll have
fewer resources at your disposal and the AI will send more ships into battle.
In Normal mode, you start the game with the Kuun-Lan (no modules except the
Hangar), 3 Seekers and 3 Workers.
Christoph Holtzmuller (AzureWrathe@aol.com) asked me for codes, as it has
troubles with the relatively complex game controls; as far as I know, there are
no codes for Cataclysm. If you have troubles with the controls, practicing with
them in the tutorial is a good choice; you can also lower the difficulty level,
buy Homeworld for pratcing with its controls first or try to costumize the keys.
MISSION 1: HIIGARA
Mission Objectives:
+ Destroy the Attack Bombers attacking the Frigates in sector 109
+ Destroy the Interceptors send to investigate on you
+ Recon the marked area
+ Destroy the Resource Collectors
+ Protect the Proximity Sensor net
+ Destroy the damaged Heavy Cruiser before it flees.
While mining an asteroid belt near a planet, you recieve a distress call from
the Veer-Rak, a Carrier from Kiith Nabaal defending Hiigara. Your planet is
attacked by the Taiidan Navy, and Defense Fleet need every help within jump
range.
You arrive in sector 112, at the south-east edge of the map. Immediately move
the Kuun Lan near the blue sphere near the upper-rigtht edge and build at least
three Workers and a Processor and send them to harvest the nearby resources.
Build two groups of ten Acolytes each. Retire two of the three Seekers.
The Nabaal commander asks you to destroy a group of roughly 10 Attack Bombers
which are taking the upper hand over some Ion Frigates. Do not immediately send
them, as the Taiidan fleet will launch 5 Interceptors toward your Workers; send
your new Acolytes to destroy the enemy fighters. Now you should have at least
10 Acolytes and one Processor: send the Acolytes against the Bombers, and the
Processor near the Workers to protect them against future attacks (always
staged by five Interceptors).
After you have destroyed the Bombers, Tactical informs you that sensors have
picked up an unknow enemy signal. Send a Seeker or directly a group of Acolytes
to the marked place; you will find three or four Resource Collectors harvesting
plus 2 Defenders. Destroy them before they dock with the nearby Carrier, or you
will have to wait until they return to the resource field. The Carrier has full
Defender support plus its guns, and your Acolytes will be destroyed in seconds.
Meanwhile, Tactical should have informed you that engineers are ready to begin
to research Linking technology, and Taiidan Strike Crafts are attacking the
Proximity Sensors net (the yellow dots) around Hiigara. Have the second group
of fighters attack them; the enemy attack party is composed of 5 Interceptors
and 2 Multi Gun Corvettes, and they may need help. If you have moved the Kuun
Lan, its guns will take care of them if your Acolytes fail to shoot them down.
When you have finished, dock your fighters and replace every loss, you have to
take down an Heavy Cruiser fleeing from battle. Send all your Acolytes, and
engage the six Defenders escorting the vessel, thn engage it with evasive
tactic. Repalce immediately any loss, or the battle will be long, and possibly
not successful. If you want, you can help the Nabaal's ships to finish with the
Taiidan to gain experience.
MISSION 2: OUTSKIRTS OF HIIGARAN SYSTEM
Mission Objectives:
+ Find the Bushan-Re
+ Repair the Bushan-Re
+ Destroy the Turanic forces
+ Recover the derelict
An other support mission for other major Kiiths, this time for the Manaans; one
of their Destroyers, the Bushan-Re, is damaged and requests assistance.
Tactical advises you than Workers aren't capable of repairs and salvaging
operations, and suggests the realization of an Engineering Module; the Kuun Lan
crew will jettison the upper container and will begin to build the first
research module.
To find the Bushan-Re, you have to explore the map: the program position the
Destroyer randomly; if this "treasure hunt" lasts for too much, Tactical will
show you 3 points: move your Acolytes near them and see where the Bushan-Re is.
Move the Kuun Lan toward the Bushan-Re, and use your Acolytes to repel any
Turanic attack; it is better to swithch to ACV mode, as Turanics will throw
Standard and Missile Corvettes into battle. When all Raider forces have been
destroyed, dock and repalce your losses, then move your ACVs near the
Bushan-Re, as well as three upgraded Workers and begin to repair it.
When the Destroyer has regained half of its health, four friendly Support
Corvettes will come out of hysperspace and will approach the Cruiser to repair
them. DO NOT move your ACVs away from the Destroyer, these Frigates are Turanic
Corvettes using Mimic technology. If you set an aggressive tactic for your
ACVs, they will begin to attack them immeditely, and the Cruiser should help
you in destroying them. While dealing with the Corvettes, the Kuun Lan picks up
a distress call from a nearby object, and Tactical orders you to salvage it
with one of your Workers. Move the Kuun Lan toward the object.
When the Mimic Corvettes are no more, a larger Turanic fleet will appear, and
when you asks help to the Bushan-Re, it flees as only its hyperdrive system is
online. Tactical also tells you that Mimic technology is available for research.
Send a single Worker to retrieve the artifact and escort it with the ACVs.
After you destroy some Corvettes and fighters, the Raiders will flee.
Mary Patyten (mpatyten@redshift.com) adds:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
in the level that you salvage the beast derelect, and there is a turanic
rader presence, neer the derilect go practicaly straight down, and twords
your command, ships original location, and scan around as far down as you
can go, you should find it eventually, and there is the one in the turanic
rader outpost level aswell, but i think you know about that one.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSION 3: CORUC-TEL SYSTEM
Mission Objectives:
+ Find the Clee-San
+ Send a Mimic and dock with the Clee-San
+ Destroy all mines blocking the Clee-San
The Kiith-Sa orders you to reach the Clee-San, a research Frigate, now located
in the Corcu-Tel system for some experiments.
To find the Clee-San, simply send a Seeker toward the yellow dot...the Seekers
will locate several mines in the area and a large contingent of Turanic Strike
Crafts. Send your Acolytes in a single group to destroy the mines and then move
the Kuun Lan toward the Clee-San. Position your MotherShip very near to the
firendly Frigate, you'll need this later on.
Tactical proposes to send a Mimic to dock with the Clee-San; do it, and the
Clee-San will show you all active mines in the area. Your first objective now
is to destroy the six mines in front of the research vessel. Be careful, the
mines are guarded by large numbers of Corvettes, both standard and missile, and
some Interceptors. Send your Acolytes in ACV mode, and begin to research the
Missile Tech after you built the Weapon module; Afterburner technology is also
available. If you moved the Kuun-Lan close enough, its guns will cover your
fighters if they need a "tactical" retreat, and eventualy will destroy any
enemy fighter in the area.
The Clee-San will begin to move after the six mines are destroyed, and will
travel to dock with the Kuun Lan. One or two minutes after the Firgate started
to move, Turanic will jump several Ion Array Frigates into the system . There
is no chance to destroy all of them, so you need to move the Kuun Lan toward
the Clee San in order to avoid their attack. Plus, the Clee San will stop if it
founds mines on its path; that's why I told you to move the Kuun-Lan: it is
possible to completely avoid the attack. Once the small research vessel docks
with the Kuun Lan, hyperspace to safety. Be sure to do not activate the "remain
docked" option, or you will loose ant docked ships.
MISSION 4: DEEP SPACE (TEL SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Build a new Hangar Module
+ Escort the Clee-San with 10 Acolytes
+ Examine the recordings
The Clee-San personnel secued the derelict, an alien artifact, probably a
beacon. They have just begin to open the artifact, and smoething comes out...
The Kuun Lan systems are on full alert: all lower decks are infected, and one
scientist reports that the artifact contained something. And this something is
eating all lower decks and personnel in it. Before dying, it tells you to
jettison the Hangar Module to save the entire ship...the Hangar Module is
jeetisoned, and the only thign you ear are screams...
The first thing to do is to rebuild the lost Hangar Module. If you had ships
docked, they will be lost: you should have enough money to rebuild the Hangar
Module and at least 3 Workers, but your Acolytes should have experience, and
losing them is a pity...
After you have rebuild the Hangar Module, the Clee-San wants to scan the
infected Hangar Module to find what's happened. Tactical orders you to escort
it with 10 Acolytes; choose 10 fighters with the lower experiencelevel
possible, and keep them in fighter mode. Convert all other crafts in ACV mode
and build your offensive fleet up to 10 ACVs, assign them to a single group and
have them form into a wall or a claw.
After the Clee-San reaches the Module, it will be infected by the same thing
that ate you Hangar. Your Acolytes will suffer the same fate, and begins to
attack you. I think it is possible to save your fighters from such a destiny,
but all my efforts were unsuccessful.
The Hangar Module will begin to speak (yes, speak): They Live.
A minor correction: it is possible to save these 10 Acolytes: have them escort
the Clee-San until you have in visual range of the lost Module, then move them
away from the Clee-San. After you did so the Clee-San will move for a short
distance. Repeat this until the Clee-San falls into enemies' hands. Or, like
Sebastian Mundt (sebastian_mundt@gesis.de) wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
As you said, order your Acolytes to guard the Clee-San. When you approach the
hangar module, sent your fighter back to the Kuun Lan. The Clee-San will stop.
Then let one or two guard the science vessel. The Clee-San will still not move.
When the rest of your group of Acolytes is half way between the Kuun Lan and
the module order them to guard the Clee-San. It will then
continue to approach the hangar module although the Acolytes are far away. If
it starts the scans let all your Acolytes retreat. The science frigate will be
infected but the rest of your fleet should be safe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Silviu (killermosi@yahoo.com) suggested this tactic too:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
in the mission where you'll have to protect the CLEE-SAN with 10 acolytes,
there is a way to lose none in the moment of the infection attack. this is waht
i did:
i gaved a guard order to 10 ACVs, ordering them a sphere formation around
CLEE-SAN. After the CLEE-SAN started to move and the sphere formation was
established, i UNLINKED the ACVs.
the ACVs stopped and unlinked and the CLEE-SAN continued her way unguarded.
i must also say that i was playing the version 1.0 of the game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
After you repelled the 10 Acolytes you sent with the Clee-San (the best way to
do this it to intercept them near the Kuun Lan in order to get some support
fire), Tactical informs you that engineers are ready to research what happened
to the two ships. Begin the research immediately, and be prepared to fend of
attacks staged by your own forces: the Hangar Module will throw groups of 8/10
Acolytes with 5 ACVs and one Ramming Frigate. The Frigate will go directly
toward the Kuun Lan, so it won't pose a trouble, but your ACVs/Acolytes will
die if they do not have support from the MotherShip. Also, when the research is
nearly completed, have the Workers and Processor dock.
Shortly after ending the research on that thing, a Turanic Raider fleet (Ion
Frigates, Corvettes, Fighters...a full attack force.) will jump into the are,
directly behind the Hangar Module and the Clee-San. When you try to explain
what happened, the Raiders will ignore your warnings and will get infected too.
There's nothing more to do, the Turanic fleet was to large before infection,
and now has support of Acolytes and ACVs. If you moved the Kuun Lan near the
infected Module, quickly move it and recall all your ships, and hyperspace.
MISSION 5: AIOWA SYSTEM
Mission Objectives:
+ Intercept the Bentusi vessel
+ Protect the Bentusi vessel
+ Protect the Caal-Shto
+ Destroy the Beast fleet
The thing that infected the Hangar Module and the Clee-San was code-named the
Beast. It is a bio-technological virus that can adapt itself and uses living
forms and their cells to create a self-sufficent neuronal net. The Beast
spreads the infection with plasma beams, which cut the enemy's hull and injects
the virus. All the infected forms are part of the original Beast.
Tactical suggests to reach a Bentusi Ship to collect more informations about
the Beast; the nearest Bentusi ship is the Aiowa system, and when you reach the
system, immediately send a Seeker or a group of Acolytes to the marked zone,
while your Workers harvest resorces.
The Bentusi are attacked by Beast forces, and they reply to your warnings that
no one will survive if it is so fool to attack the Unbounds; in fact, the
Bentusi ship will begin to harvest enemy ships with multiple ion beams...
Move one group of Acolytes to help the Bentusi vessel, and maintain a group of
ACVs near the Kuun-Lan. The Beast will launch two Ion Array Frigates and some
Corvettes toward your Command Ship.
After having destroyed the incoming threat, send all your attack forces into
the battle. The Kuun-Lan will pick up three hyperspace signatures. The Bentusi
sent a distress signal to Hiigaran ships, and the Kiith Manaan replied by
sending the Caal-Shto, a Carrier, and tow Ion Cannon Frigates.
Continue your battle against Beast fighters until an Heavy Cruiser reaches the
Bentusi ship; quickly recall your fighters for repair and repalce any lost
ships. As the Cruiser begins to attack the trading vessel with infection beams,
the Bentusi will begin to descript what they feel...something ancient, which is
hungry, and modifies their sings and tears them apart...the Bentusi won't be
bound. They self-destruct.
The Beast fleet is completely destroyed, but the Caal-Shto was caught into the
explosion. Move your fighters into a defensive position; you now should be able
to research Support Modules and to build the Advanced Engineering Module: do
so, and research Micro-Ships in the new module and immediately build 12 (the
max available) Support Modules. Your forces now should be a group of 20
Acolytes and one group of 10 ACVs, plus one Processor and 6 Workers. No
Frigates are needed for now.
Do not send Workers to repair the Caal-Shto, but kep them harvesting resources.
Fend off all attacks against the Carrier while you move the Kuun Lan very near
to the Caal-Shto and until you built your forces. Track enemy movements and
move you fighters toward the Carrier producing Attack Bombers, Acolytes and
Ramming Frigates. Be sure to intercept all enemies before dealing with the
Carrier.
Once you have reached the Carrier, unlink any ACV you have and attack the enemy
ship from sides, using missiles; the Carrier should retreat after a single
attack. Destroy the remaining Workers, head back to the Kuun Lan and hit J to
finish the mission.
MISSION 6: KADIIR NEBULA
Mission Objectives:
+ Recon enemy base
+ Control all navpoints
+ Escort the Caal-Shto to the portal
+ Destroy all Taiidan minelayers
+ Destroy all Taiidan scouts
+ Research Phased Telemetry
+ Destroy the Heavy Cruiser
The Caal-Shto is badly damaged, and only its fusion reacotr continues to work.
Hyperspace module is offline, like all weapons and construction lines. If the
Beast stages an other attack, the Caal-Shto will fall in its hands.
The only way to get the damaged Carrier out of this system is to use one of the
portals located into the Kadir Nebula.
The mpa of this mission is a developed into a single, relatively thin line
containing the portal where you entered (behind your back) and the Epsilon
portal, where you have to escort the Caal-Shto. The portal are spyrals composed
by unharvestable asteroyds.
When you arrives into the Nebula, Tactical telles you that there is an
Imperialist Taiidan base between the entrance and the exit, and orders you to
send a Seeker to gather informations about the enemy forces. DO NOT do this;
instead, send your Workers to harvest, and guard them with your Processor.
Build at least two groups of 20 Acolytes each. You'll need speed rather than
firepower in this mission. Build three Seekers: one will remain with the Kuun
Lan and the Caal-Shto, one will guard the Workers and the other will accompain
the Acolytes. The seekers are the only units with full power to sensors: the
nebula radiations block all other sensors, so the Taiidan base doesn't know the
right number of forces that arrived, and it will continue to send groups of 5
Interceptors to scout the area. For now, they will head toward the Workers, so
use one group of Acolytes to destroy them. The other group, with the help of a
Seeker, will travel toward the Epsilon portal (proceed toward the second grey
box and the continue in a straight line). Build the Armor Module and research
the Force Field, too.
The Acolytes sent toward the portal will see several mines: take them down, and
when you reach the portal, have them back (the Seeker too) to the Kuun-Lan and
send one Seeker to scout the enemy base. The base itself produces only
fighters, but has a full complement of Support, Assault and Ion Cannon Frigates
plus a Carrier. After the recon is finished, the Kuun Lan will issue the move
order, and the Caal-Shto will beign to move toward the portal. Move one Seeker
toward the exit, and it will find a group of Minelayers and Defenders. Destroy
them with the Acolytes; one group should always remain with the Command Ships,
and when Tactical detects a group of Interceptors (always five in delta
formation), dispatch them for a quick shoot-down. If the Interceptors repot
back to the base, it will probably launch all Frigates and the Carrier to take
you down. I've never did such a mistake, so I do not really know if this is
true.
After destroying the Minelayers and their escort, move the Seeker close to the
portal and...ta daan, an Heavy Cruiser with 10 Defenders for its escort.
Engineers are ready to research for Leech technology. This won't be a great
help, unless you use ten or more Leeches to attack the Cruiser. Frigate drive
will also be available, but the Hive Frigte isn't excalty what you need against
an Heavy Cruiser. If you want, build one or two Ramming Frigates to move the
Cruiser away from the Defenders. Deploy all Acolytes against the Cruiser, and
have them unleash missiles against it. Then engage the Defenders, and replace
all losses immediately.
After the Cruiser is destroyed the Caal-Shto will enter the portal, and you'll
have to hyperspace to reach it. If you want, hang on a minute to harvest some
resources, but the base already launched its forces toward you: in few minutes
will be on you. Hyperspace ASAP and reach the Caal-Shto.
Pete Morfill (p.morfill@btinternet.com) sent this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reading your walkthrough which is great, but I had a tip for the Kadiir
Nebula mission. When you discover the Heavy Cruiser blocking your path,
research the leeches tech as instructed. Then build ten and send them to attack
the cruiser. Make sure you have at least 5 or 6 workers too. By the time you
reach the cruiser and it's fighters it will be damaged (assuming you got your
recon ship there far enough in advance); you can then attack it and its
fighters with all your acolytes and follow the attack up immediately with a
salvage attempt (using all those workers!) I managed to capture the heavy
cruiser which came in very handy for the next few missions, and all I lost was
a few fighters, which you can rebuild anyway. Obviously you need to make sure
you have enough SU's for the capture.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Maullar.Maullar (maullar_maullar@yahoo.com) sent me this:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey. I just read your FAQ for Cataclysm on GameFAQs.
{snip...read General Tactica for the rest}
-On Mission 6, if you let any Interceptors report back
to base, they WILL send their ENTIRE force at you. I
had a very hard time with it on Very Easy mode.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you let even an Interceptor report back (or just your units are within
visual range of the base), the entire army will attack you. Also, when the
Cruiser will be under attack (or when it will be destroyed, still have to
understand), the entire Taiidan force will move toward you.
MISSION 7: OUTSKIRTS OF KADIR NEBULA
Mission Objectives:
+ Check origins of the distress signal
+ Protect Convoy
+ Destroy Beast ships
+ Destroy all infected ships
Engineers aboard the Kuun Lan did whatever they could to find more infos about
the Beast. The Beacon you salvaged comes from an alien explorer ship, called
the Naggarok; its origins are unknown, but it surely came from an other galaxy.
This ship was usign an hyperdrive incredibly powerful. The ship came out from
hyperspace infected by the virus the the Somtaaw code-named Beast, but the
alien crew sacrificed themsleves as they realized the destructive potential of
this "creature", and destroyed engines and communication gears. However, the
automated system launched the beacon you recovered...
The Caal-Shto is now fully repaired, and enters hyperspace to report to the New
Daiamand (the Council formed of all Kiith-Sa) about the Beast. They also
suggests to hide, but you recieve an help signal from Republican Taiidan convoy
DX-307. The escort has been wiped out, and the convoy is unarmed. The worst
thing is that the convoy is attacked by 'unknown missiles'.
Make four groups of Acolytes (10 each), and if you want, substitute one of them
with a group of 5 ACVs. Before sending the Acolytes toward the marked area,
research Armor Level 2 and Quantum Charge.
The convoy is composed of 6 Colony Ships, and one is badly damaged. Keep your
Acolytes in aggressive stance and wall formation, you'll need concentrated
fire, and guard the central zone of the convoy. Shortly after you reached it,
Cruise Missiles will start to attack the convoy. The Colony Ship are unarmed,
like the Missiles, but if they hit their targets, they will infect it, and the
infected Colony Ship will start to produce other Missiles. It is imperative to
destroy these infected ships ASAP, or you'll have to face too many Missiles at
once.
Engage the first wave of Missiles; each group contains 4 Cruise Missiles. Then
move one group of Acolytes to protect the Kuun Lan and the Workers. EMP upgrade
for ACVs should be available, now.
The second wave will have more groups of Missiles, but it's still easy.
The thrid wave will increase the number of Missile groups (plus each group will
contain 5 Missiles) and they will be escorted by Interceptors (5 in delta
formation; they will escort the Missiles).
You'll lose at least one Colony Ship, and you must destroy it ASAP, or the
Missiles it will launch will infect all other Ships, making your task
effortlessy. Launch a volley of Missiles from all nearby Acolytes, and then
finish it with normal attacks. If you want, keep one or two ACVs ready to EMP a
Colony Ship, but maintain a fighter escort on the Kuun Lan. If you managed to
salvage the Heavy Cruiser in the prev mission, this mission could become a real
pain: just think if the Cruiser get infected. And if not, you won't have enough
SUs to replace it with the more efficent Destroyer/Dreadnought combo;
Super-Capital ships cannot be retired, so it was all a waste of time to capture
it...
If you let the infection spread, all Colony Ships will be infected, and they
will start to target your Command Ship: that's way the ACVs are there. The
first target is the Processor (I think that the Crusier would be the first one
to fall...), the Workers and then the Kuun Lan. Seems that Cruise Missiles only
do damage, but I'm not so sure...however, if you need reinforcmentes, recall on
or two groups of Acolytes, but keep the other groups targeting the Colony Ships.
Eventually, you will finish this mission. After you saved the convoy, be sure
that you have all 12 Support Modules installed, and expand you fleet with two
Ramming Frigates and one Acolyte group, and convert them to ACVs. Your fleet
should contain one Kuun Lan (¬_¬...), one Processor, six Workers, 3 groups of
10 ACVs each and two Ramming Frigates. Be sure to have research everything too.
MISSION 8: DEEP SPACE (KORETH'S RIFT SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Harvest resources and build new ships
+ Protect the spy from the pursuiting Taiidan
+ Capture one Frigate
+ Caputer three Resource Collectors
+ Destroy all other forces before they flee.
300.000 refugees thank you and your fleet. Their escort went to investigate
about a signal sent by one of the Repiblican Heavy Cruisers, apparently
disapperead few days before, and the now-unprotected convoy was attacked by
this new Imperial weapon. Apparently, the Imperialist Taiidan are doing
research on the Beast, and the Republican sent a spy to investigate about this.
You decide to wait the spy.
The first thing to do is to send one group of Acolytes to the two purple points
of the map: these points represent crystals; crystals come in small, medium and
big shapes, and you need two, four and six Workers respectively to salvage and
take them to the nearest Processor, Carrier and MotherShip. Research the
Crystal Harvesting Capability and have your Workers collect them.
The spy will arrive soon, and will have Taiidan ships on his tail. Use a single
group of Acolytes to destroy the enemy ships. You will encounter 6 Interceptors
(delta formation), 4 Multi-Gun Corvettes (wall) and 15 Defenders (wall). Your
ACVs should eat them in seconds.
The approaching vector of the spy is randomly chosen.
After this easy combat, the spy informs you that the Imperialists have a
research base on a nearby planet, and they are research a bio-weapon very
similar to the Beast. Too similar. However, the planet is guarded by a net of
Proximity Sensors and a large number of ships, but the spy suggests to steal
some nearby ships dedicated to gathering resorces.
I think that the AI randomly generates the area where the ships are, roughly
opposite the spy's approaching vector. The number and types composing the
harvesting group is fixed, however: it contains 8 Resource Collectors, 2
Support Frigates, 2 Assault Firgates, 3 Ion Cannon Frigates and 1 Gravity
Wheel. You need to capture at least 3 Resource Collectors and one Frigate, but
I suggest to capture evey ship except the Gravity Wheel. You can retire all
surplus ships, and capturing at least one type of Frigate (except the Support)
will give you a new technology; Ion Cannon Frigates will give you Advanced Ion
Cannons (Multi-Beam Frigate), while Assault frigates will give you Energy
Cannons (upgrade for most ships). You have to do this within 15 minutes, or
they will hyperspace back to their base, and your cover will colapse.
Start by destroying the Gravity Wheel with the two Ramming Frigates, or your
ACVs won't be able to move and will be an easy target for the Frigates. Then
move your ACVs (one group is enough, remember, you have to capture ships) and
destroy the Support Frigates. Without these units, other Firgates won't be able
to repair from their damage. Then slightly damage all other crafts and send you
Workers to salvage them. You need two Workers for each Firgate and Collector.
After you took the first Ion Cannon/Assault Frigate to the Kuun Lan, the new
technology will be available. Before updating or building any ship, complete
the mission objectives (by destroying the uncaptured crafts or by capturing and
retiring them). Retire the tow Ramming Frigates, build three or four Multi-Beam
Frigates (sacrifice a group of ACVs for the fourth...I kept the ACVs and waited
for more Frigates), retire all surplus ships and them hyperspace.
MISSION 9: CLOSE ORBIT, GOZAN IV
Mission Objectives:
+ Move Resource Collectors to the marked point
+ Destroy one Proximity Sensor
+ Create a diversion
+ Wait for the Resource Collectors
+ Recover the Collectors
The ships you captured will be used as troop-carriers to penetrate the
planetary defenses intact, infiltrate into the base and destroy it. However, if
the Beast already infected the base and the defense fleet, you'll have to flee.
OK, be prepared, this mission is very difficult. If you haven't captured at
least an Ion Frigate in the last mission it will be very tough.
Send you Workers to harvest resources, but when they approach the sensor net
(there are resources near it), recall them and keep them docked. Ships without
weapon will nothing more than sitting ducks. Have your Acolytes link into ACV
mode, and retire the Frigate you captured in the last mission and build an
other Multi-Beam Frigate; you need only the Collectors.
Do not move directly the Collectors to the marked place, move the entire Kuun
Lan instead. Having Sentinels with Level 2 Shields (research them before
moving) is a good idea. Place the Kuun Lan on the marked spot, and then move it
toward the net. When your MotherShip is near to the first Proximity Sensor,
move the Collectors to the marked place and attack one Proximity Sensor with a
group of ACVs or directly with the Kuun Lan. This will make your Collectors
move toward the planet.
No the Taiidan will throw nearly anything into battle. Recall your Workers and
dock them (and keep them), assign the Processor to escort the Kuun Lan. Keep
the Kuun Lan moving until it has passed the sensors. Do not move it too much,
or you will have to face a Destroyer, plus all other forces.
Now, let's wait that the enemies are near the Kuun Lan and throw your forces to
counterattack. It is better to keep the battle near the MotherShip as you can
benefit of its guns and the repairing capability of the Processor. If the
situation is desperate, release the Workers and repair the Kuun Lan (they will
be destroyed immediately if they attempt to reach the Multi-Beam Frigates).
After few minutes, the Collectors should have reached the Vigilance, a
Destroyer guarding the planet; it will let them through, and you must keep the
defensive forces busy until they return. This will take about 5 minutes.
In these 5 minutes, the Taiidan will throw a lot of Capital Ships into battle,
including a Missile Destroyer. It appears that the Destroyer and its escort
(Assault, Ion and Support Frigates) jump randomly near you. I've got it on my
tail or directly behind me. The Destroyer will be a Pain. Attack it with your
Frigates, and keep the ACV attacking smaller crafts. Remember your have the EMP
weapon to create a relatively quiet moment to re group your forces and destroy
the smaller enemy crafts. Replace your forces as you lose them.
The Collectors are back, and they have interesting informations about the
Beast, but they have Attack Bombers on their tails. If you have passed the
sensor net with the Kuun Lan this won't be a problem, or you'll have to send
something to protect the three Collectors. Sentinels may be a good choice, but
I suggest a Frigate or a group of 5 ACVs.
When the Collectors have docked, recall your ships and hyperspace. I had to do
an emergency hyperspace, and I left there most of my ACVs and the Processor:
when you issue the hyperspace order all ships will begin to dock or go into
position for hyperspace, and this will require time. And during this time
enemies will be active, and they will go after the Kuun Lan. If you want to
wait for your forces, keep a sharp eye on the health bar.
MISSION 10: DEBRIS FIELD (KORETH'S RIFT SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Recover the Siege Cannon
+ Research the Siege Cannon Module
+ Build the Siege Cannon
+ Fire the Siege Cannon against the Beast Command Ship
After the raid on Gozan, you jumped into an area full of debrises and
derelicts; this large concentration of metallic objects should hide you. Datas
recovered by the planetary strike team are both horrible and interesting: the
Imperialist Taiidan are trying to turn the Beast into a biological weapon, but
so far they only found a way to sterilze infected hosts. So far, the Beast
overran every control system implatended in the hosts by the Taiidan scientists.
Recon 214 is scouting the sector. It detects mines, as well as an old but still
serviceable Siege Cannon. After sending you position datas, Recon 214 returns
to base as it detects enemy forces. The Siege Cannon could be the only weapon
that can deal damage to the Beast. Tactical suggests to salvage it and install
onto the Kuun-Lan.
Have you noticed the Corellian Corvette wreckage near the Cannon? Looks like a
Star Destroyer lost the Siege Cannon while stalking that Corvette ;)
Begin with rebuilding your losses. Increase the number of Multi-Beam Frigates
to six, and if you lost the Processor in the last mission, don't bother to
replace it. Keep your Acolytes in ACV mode, you'll need the EM Pulse. Have the
Workers harvest any rosource in the area, and DO NOT move the Kuun-Lan.
After you rebuilt your losses, send the Multi-Beam Frigates and one group of
ACVs to the Siege Cannons. Have the ACVs engage mines, and destroy all Turanic
crafts trying to steal the Cannon.
Send four of your Workers to salvage the Cannon, and keep the ACVs and Frigates
in aggressive mode. After the Workers docked with the Cannon, several Corvettes
will attack your Workers. The Frigates should eat them in seconds.
Meanwhile, the Kuun-Lan will be under attack by four Ion Array Frigates: these
Frigates use Cloak technology, and your engineers think that they can research
Advanced Sensors able to detect hidden units; start the research immediately,
and use the ACVs protecting the Kuun-Lan to EMP one or two Frigates while you
recall the Frigates and the other ACVs guard the Workers.
After the Workers took the Cannon to your Command Ship, have them harvest
resources and begin to research the support module for the Cannon.
An Imperial Fleet will jump into the area, as well as Turanic reinforcements.
Quickly recall you Workers and keep them docked. Send ACVs to shoot down any
threat for the Workers but retreat when you see the Heavy Cruiser and the three
Destroyers. These ships will go for your MotheShip, so move it away from them.
Do not try to engage in a stand-up fight, even with the ACVs using EMP, the
battle will be hard at best. Just go away from the Super Capital Ships to
minimize losses.
Shortly after the arrival of this party, the Caal-Shto enters the area, and the
Turanics will go after it.
However, when the Pirates approach the Imperator-class Carrier, you'll notice
something wrong...the Beast infected the Carrier, and...your old Hanger Module
jumps into battle. The Beats converted your old Hangar Module into a Commad
Ship, and orders you to surrender.
The Taiidan and the Turanic will move to engage the Beast. Do not follow them;
dock all your Strike Crafts and keep the Multi-Beam Firgates near the Kuun-Lan.
Tactical suggests to use the Siege Cannon, and you have to move within a 100%
accurancy range before firing it. However, you have only to hit the Beast, so
you can be at 70/60% accurancy range when firing the Cannon.
After the Siege Cannon hit the Beast, the sensors show that the lifeform didn't
suffered too much damage, and you must prepare to hyperspace. Do it ASAP, or
the former Taiidan Cruiser and Destroyers will be on you.
MISSION 11: SYSTEM AZ-23769
Mission Objectives:
+ Protect the Faal-Corum
+ Destroy all Beast ships
+ Repair the Faal-Corum
+ Destroy enemy fleet
The first shot of the Siege Cannon burned the plasma conducts that power the
Cannon, and it's now useless. Tactical sugests that engineers can tune the
Cannon if they have enough datas on the original Beast lifeform. This means
finding the Naggarok, but your crew is not good enough to track this 1 million
years old vessel, so you decide to rendez-vous with the Faal-Corum and aks
support to its astrogation (astronautical navigation) team.
As you jump into teh system, a small Beast fleet is attacking the Faal-Corum.
As you arrive rigthly over the Fall-Corum, the ship crew thinks that the red
Acolytes and Multi-Beam Frigates are yours, and you want to destroy your sister
ship.
Send all you have against the Beast ships and rebuild your losses, and send
them into battle as soon as they leave the Hangar. Send Workers to salvage the
two crystals (one medium and one small..if you have six Workers this will
require them all), and then to harvest resources.
The Beast ships will be easily destroyed, both thank to your ships and
Faal-Corum's ones. As the small fleet is destroyed, send 3 or 4 Workers to
repair the Faal-Corum. Tactical also says that Destroyer Drive is available for
research. After it is completed, build one Carrier (and then its Support
Modules); after this, expand your fleet with two Destroyers (oh yeah) and then
the second and last Carrier (and its support modules). Finish the production
run with a third Destroyer.
The Beast will send an other fleet to capture you and the Faal-Corum. Establish
a defense line composed by Carriers and Destroyers until you have finished
building the ships I mentioned plus six Multi-Beam Frigates and twenty ACVs.
The Faal-Corum will assist by sending Dervishes toward the enemy fleet; 10
Acolytes will stay with the two Explorer class vessels for protection. Be
careful: the Beast will launch Cruise Missiles, and they will be your primary
target: Frigates will be infected, and these Missiles inflict a good amount of
damage to Super-Capital Ships (they cannot be infected).
Once you have finished building attack ships, it is time to go. Group them in a
single wall formation and harvest any enemy unit so fool to fire at you. The
Beast will send Hive, Ramming and Multi-Beam Frigates, and sometimes Cruise
Missiles. Have the ACVs deal with the Ramming Frigates with a single EMP or by
engaging them. You Capital Ships will take care of everything else.
OK, you're near your target: the enemy Carrier is protected by 3 Ion Array
Frigates, 12 Sentinels forming a shield around the Carrier and two Defense
Field Frigates. Send the Super-Capital Ships to engage the Ion Array Frigates,
and if you want use the EMP of your ACVs on two of them. Then retreat your ACVs
(the Carrier can infect them) and have your Destroyers target the Carrier
inside the force shield. Keep at least two Multi-Beam Frigates to destroy any
Cruise Missile. After the Carrier is destroyed, the Sentinels will break
formation, and will start to attack you. Fighters against dedicated
anti-fighter Frigates and heavy missiles from your Destroyers? Mhmm...after the
Sentinels, destroy the two Defense Field Frigates and finish with the two
Workers.
Or, like Sebastian Mundt (sebastian_mundt@gesis.de) wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To destroy the Beast's carrier send in 20 ACV's. Order them to guard the
Faal-Corum attack group. Keep an eye an incoming cruise missiles. Once you
approach the carrier let your ships EMP all enemies nearby. Unlock the ACV's to
have 40 Acolytes ready for battle. Attack the cruiser and only the cruiser!Fire
a full volley of missiles at it. That should almost bring down the
carrier.Finish it with aggressive attacks in claw formation. If it blows up in
a giant fireball let your Acolytes retreat and dock. Now it's time for your
frigates and
destroyers and - if you had been brave enough in level 6 salvaging the Taiidan
Qwaar Jet - the Heavy Cruiser. The multibeam frigates will take care of enemy
fighters, the destroyers and the cruiser will bring down the remaining capital
ships.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Faal-Corum will then send its astrogation team to you, and will begin its
travel toward Hiigara to warn the Council about the Beast.
Before ending the mission, be sure to collect every resource in the area and
repair your ships.
MISSION 12: TURANIC OUTPOST (KYORI SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Defend your Command Ship
+ Destroy the Turanic Outpost
The astrogation team decoded the navigation datas, and localized an area where
the Naggarok could be. However, the area is too large, and you must narrow the
area. It is possible that a Turanic Raider outpost is in the sector, and you
are going to ask them for help.
Mimic 6-6-3 reports a visual confirmation of a large Turanic outpost in front
of the Kuun-Lan. You declare that you come in peace, and request only access to
their data charts. The Pireates reply with powering up turrets and sending
their crafts to destroy you.
Move as fast as you can your Capital Ships into a wall before the Kuun-Lan, 25
Interceptors and 4 Missile Corvettes are on their way to welcome you. Prepare
your ACVs, you may need some help: in this first wave, the Turanics will try to
sink you a large group of light and maneuverable crafts. Keep all your forces
near the Kuun-Lan for now.
Then send your ACVs (10 will be enough) to the resource field at your left, and
destroy the four mines (the Pirates' mines are big and white, easier to see and
engage). Now you can send your Workers to harvest asteroyds.
Now the Kuun-Lan will be under fire of seven Ion Array Frigates. Use the EM
Pulse to disable them, and shoot them down with concentrated fire.
Begin to move the Capital Ships toward the Outpost, and your ACVs toward the
small asteroyd belt at your right: destroy the four Corvettes, and then send
all your ACVs to "escort" your Destroyers and Multi-Beam Frigates.
The Turanic will keep throwing Stike Crafts: the most dangerous are the
Corvettes, usually masked as Acolytes (you will see five Acolytes in X
formation coming from the outpost), and they will sometimes try to steal your
Frigates. The best way to destroy thief Corvettes are your ACVs and the
missiles of your Destroyers.
Once near the outpost, you'll see 7 Ion Array Frigates: send your Capital Ships
to engage them, and them use the EMP of your ACVs.
Now you should be able to see all forces sorrounding the outpost: at your right
a Lord Attack Carrier, at the center the Outpost plus mines and verious Strike
Crafts and at your right 6 Ion Array Frigates. Attack from the left, and repeat
the same tactic used with the other Frigates (EMP + concentrated fire). Then
engage the Strike Crafts and some mines, and begin to attack the Carrier. Use
your ACVs to shoot down any incoming mine; then use them to destroy the
Interceptors the Carrier will begin to launch after you lowered its health at
50%.
After the Attack Carrier is no more, begin to attack the Outpost. It won't fire
back nor produce any craft, so you can send you ACVs to the Kuun-Lan for
repairs (and replace losses, though they will be very limited). When the
outpost is low on health, a Taiidan fleet will jump into system. Ignore them,
and continue to attack the Outpost. After its health is very low, the Taiidan
will hyperspace away and the Turanic will surrender, leveing access to their
maps.
Be sure to dock your Strik Crafts (Workers included) into the Carriers.
MISSION 13: LOCATION UNKNOWN
Mission Objectives:
+ Destroy enemy fleet
+ Assist the Faal-Corum
You now carry Pirate personnel on the Kuun-Lan, and you are en-route to find
out the Naggarok and destroy it as long as its engines are not working. Despite
Tactical increased security level, someone managed to install a strange device
somewhere in the MotherShip...
Most of the Kuun-Lan' systems are down. Tactical tells you that a massive EMP
burst disabled the Hangar Module and destroyed one Support Module and the
Enginnering Module. The Kuun-Lan cannot launch or build new ships, and you must
rely on Capital Ships. Sensors also pick up multiple hyperspace signatures:
it's a trap.
Begin by rebuilding any lost Module, and if you stored your fighters into the
Carriers as I told you, release them: the Workers will repair the Kuun-Lan,
while the ACVs will provide cover for your Capital Ships; move these ships on
the Kuun-Lan's left-rear side, and destroy all Attack Bombers and Interceptors.
Now move them to the opposite side (forward-right) to intercept a Heavy Cruiser
and one Destroyer. Let the ACVs use their EMP on these two ships, and use your
Carriers for a faster destruction. Meanwhile, the Kuun-Lan will be sorrounded
by two other Heavy Cruiser/Destroyer groups. Use the same tactic as above, but
keep a sharp eye on the Carriers' and Kuun-Lan's health bar.
When the second group is down, the Faal-Corum will arrive to assist you; it
will provide Workers for faster repairs and will produce other vessels
(Acolytes, ACVs and Multi-Beam Frigates) to help you. It will bring also 4 Ion
Cannon Frigates, 2 Revelation-class Destroyers, 8 ACVs and 2 Ramming Frigates,
and will transfer them under your control. Building and launching facilities
now should be online.
The Taiidan will continue to launch several fighters and Destroyers backed up
by Assault Frigates, so keep your ships near the Kuun-Lan for now. Decomission
as many new ships you want, except the Destroyers (you can't) and the Ion
Cannon Frigates (for now). Send you Workers to harvest resources, and move your
Carriers to protect them.
The Faal-Corum ships will detect a Carrier, and you now must destroy it. Begin
to move the Capital Ships toward the enemy Carrier ASAP. and keep the ACVs at
their rear, to engage any Attack Bomber and/or Interceptor the AI will throw.
Once you're near the enemy Carrier, keep your ships advancing, and the Taiidan
force will hyperspace to safety. Finish to repair any damage and retire the Ion
Cannon Frigates. Be sure to have at least 80 SUs available fro the next mission
and hyperspace to the Naggarok.
MISSION 14: GALACTIC RIM (GULF SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Protect the Kuun-Lan
+ Recover a sample
+ Capture an enemy ship
After the Taiidan/Raider trap, you can head to the Naggarok and destroy it.
However, the stuation is desperate: many fleets fell under Beast control, and
the other Kiith are defending Hiigara. The Republican Taiidan offer their help
with a special weapon, but it isn't ompleted yet. Now you're alone, and you
must destroy the Naggarok.
Recon flight 2-1-4 achieves a visual lock on the Naggarok. Around this massive
ship there are several Imperialist ships, and they're repairing the Naggarok
drives. After you opend communications with the Taiidan flagship, the Naggraok
begins to speak: the Beast and the Taiidan now co-operates, and when all
menaces will be destroyed, the Taiidan will recieve half galaxy, while the
Beast the other half.
Send your Workers to harvest th nearby resources, and move your Carriers in
front of the Kuun-Lan, one on each side. The other Capital Ships will form a
wall few KMs ahead. For now let your ACVs rest. The first Taiidan wave will be
composed of several fighters (Interceptors plus Attack Bombers), and they won't
pose too much problem. You can now build Archangels; build only one: two will
use too many SUs. At least your Capital Ship group should composed of 1
Dreadnought, 4-5 Destroyers and few Multi-Beam Frigates (they can be infected,
and this reduces their value a bit; plus you should have two Revelation-class
Destroyers).
The Beast MotherShip will arrive at your right, and will begin to send several
infected vessels toward you. Destroy them with your Capital Ships, and use your
ACVs to disable the Ramming Frigates.
The job of your Capital Ships and one group of Acolytes (10 will be enough)
will be to hold the line and distracting enemy forces until you can send a
Mimic near the Naggarok to recover a sample of its structure. You will
encounter a single Heavy Cruiser with Multi-Gun Corvette escort, but you should
already have a Dreadnought online.
Before sending the Mimic, you have to destroy the Proximity Sensors located
around the Naggarok. Send 10 Acolytes and begin to shoot them down. The Sensors
are displaced as a plain circle around the alien vessel. Do not dare to pass
the sensors, mines and a lot of Taiidan ships await you. You can use two groups
of ten Acolytes each, but this seems to make the Taiidan very angry, and they
will send ships (usually 1/2 Hive Frigates) after your Acolytes.
When the Sensors are down, send your Mimic to dock with the Naggarok, and be
sure that the Mimic will reach the Kuun-Lan intact. After the Mimic has docked,
the Naggarok and the Beast MotherShip will hyperspace with the bulk of the
Taiidn ships toward an unknown weapon. The remaining Taiidan ships will begin
to attack you, and you must capture one to know where the Beast is going.
The easiest ship to capture is one of the first Assault Frigates. Damage it,
and send two Workers to salvage it. After you did so, you can hyperspace, but
you can stay to destroy the remaining ships: the total force consists of 14
Assault Frigates, 2 Destroyers and 1 Missile Destroyer. The latter is not a
great threat, especialy because it is the last ship attacking. Use the EM Pulse
to disable the standard Destroyers and then use the ACVs to harrass the Assault
Frigates (X formation with evasive tactic is the best choice) and let your
Capital Ship finish off all ships.
Before hyperspacing, harvest all resources and repair your ships.
MISSION 15: DEEP SPACE (GULF SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Destroy the gate
+ Block the Bentusi Ships
The captured crew of the Taiidan ship confirmed that the Beast and the
Imperialist are going to capture the Republican secret weapon, codenamed Nomad
Moon, locted in a lage shipyard not so far from your position. Your engineers
also adapted the Siege Cannon to produce a massive feedback in any
Beast-infected lifeform, but you're still not able to fire it more than once.
You must reach the Bentusi for asking help.
As you arrive in-system, one Bentusi ship is trepassing a inter-galaxy gate.
You cannot stop this ship, so you have to watch it only. Bentusi ships are
immune to EMP burst and you don't want to fire on them, so you must destroy the
6 generators around the gate.
Move all Capital Ship INCLUDING Carriers and any vessel with firepower except
the Processor toward the portal and begin to destroy the generators.
Concentrate fire on a single emitter at once. You should be able to stop the
second ship trying to use the gate.
After you destroyed trhee or four generators, the Bentusi will begin to launch
their Super Acolytes in groups of 6. Do not send any Strike Craft against them,
they will be destroyed in seconds; just wait that the fighters are in range of
your Capital Ships, and shoot them down.
When you destroy all generators, three other Bentusi ships (with a total of
four if you stopped the second ship) will jump into system, and they will go
after the Kuun-Lan (only one) and your Capital Ships (three ships will surround
your group). The Bentusi ship near the Kuun-Lan won't launch Super Acolytes, so
concentrate on your Capital Ships: only try to shoot down Acolytes, ignore the
Bentusi ships.
When the Bentusi will destroy one Capital Ship (Processor included) or badly
damage the Kuun-Lan (see below), you will engage in a verbal battle with them.
Eventually the Bentusi will cease fire, and will agree to help you. Four new
technologies will be available: Advanced Fighter and Frigate Drive, Armor and
Force Field Level 3. Before jumping to the next mission, research them and
update all surviving crafts and replace your losses.
If you do not shop the second ship, the Bentusi rienforcements will jump over
your MotherShip, and they will send Super Acolytes. Quickly recall your Capital
Ships and destroy the enemy Acolytes. When they destroy a ship or the Kuun-Lan
is at red health status, the discussion will begin and the mission will be
finished.
MISSION 16: SOJENT-RA SYSTEM (FAR REACHES SECTOR)
Mission Objectives:
+ Localize the Clee-San
+ Damage the Clee-San
+ Dock the Clee-San with a Worker
+ Harvest resources
+ Engage and destroy the Beast Fleet
With the help of the Bentusi, the Siege Cannon should be able to sustain
continued fire. The Bentusi were trying to escape from the Beast as this
bio-technological lifeform keeps the alive for controlling ships. The Bentusi
are in symbiosis with their ships, like Karan Sjet with the MotherShip during
the Homeworld war; this is why the Bentusi helped the Kushan and why they
weren't reluctant to help you. Tactical proposes to lay down a trap for your
old Hangar Module, now the Beast MotherShip, infected with a small part of the
Beast original form. The target will be the Clee-San, as it is the first
infected ship.
However, you don't know where the Clee-San exaclty is...during your research,
you encounter the Kiith Manaan fleet, which knows where Clee-San is. Seems that
the Beast is going to infect a whole planet.
Once you jump into the system that the Manaan told you, you don't really know
whre the Clee-San is. Send a Recon (or a Mimic...do not use ACVs or Acolytes)
to the marked area. The Clee-San is escorted by a large fleet, including
Carrier, Heavy Cruisers, Frigates and full Strike Craft support. You need to
close enough to fire a glancing blow with your Siege Cannon.
Begin to move your fleet including the Kuun-Lan. Keep your Capital Ships before
the MotherShip, and have the Carriers guard it. Keep your ACVs (you'll need the
EMP) with the Capital Ships. During your travel, you'll encounter 2 Heavy
Cruisers escorted by Ramming, Multi-Beam and Hive Frigates, Corvettes (usually
Multi-Gun) and fighters (Interceptors, Acolytes and Attack Bombers). Unleash
the EM Pulse on the Cruisers, then engage with the ACVs their escorts and let
the Capital Ships destroy the Cruisers. I forgot to say that you'll encounter
these Cruisers in two separate groups (¬_¬...).
You should have reached the distance for firing the Cannon now. Move away every
ship in front of the Kuun-Lan, and issue the firing order.
If the projectile hit, Tactical will inform you that the Clee-San is damaged
but still active, and the Siege Cannon is intact; it also telles you to dock
the Clee-San with one Worker before the Clee-San explodes. However, it escort
is still active.
Send the Capital Ships with ACV support, you'll encounter a third Heavy Cruiser
and a lot of Frigates. Use the ACVs to EMP the most dangerous ship in visula
range, and use concentrated fire to quickly destroy your opponents. ACVs will
be useful to destroy enemy Minions ramming your ships.
Once you have reached the Clee-San, recall the ACV and destroy the Carrier
inside the Force Field, then deal with the Sentinels, Defense Field Frigates
and Workers. Send one Worker near the Clee-San it will automatically dock.
The Worker crew extimates that even the few active bio-circuits would be able
to revolution their ship designs, but Tactical points out that these circuits
were memebers of your Kiith...once the Worker has finished its work, the
Clee-San will explode.
Begin to harvest resources now. Immediately send four Workers to salvage the
medium and small crystals in the area (if you didn't before) or harvest the
nearby asteroyd belt.
After 2 or 3 minutes, the Beast MotherShip will appear near the two crystal
located on the map's side. It is imperative to destroy any ship in the area.
Do not move directly the Kuun-Lan toward the Beast, but position one Seeker
between you and the enemy. The first wave of crafts will be composed of
Seekers. Use your ACVs to deal with them. The second wave is formed of various
Frigate and Corvettes and an Heavy Cruiser. Try to shot at this group with the
Siege Cannon, and finish the group with the Capital Ships. Begin to move
Kuun-Lan, and when you reach an 70/80% of accurancy, fire the first shot. This
shot will damage the MotheShip and destroy most of the ships escorting it. The
next waves of Beast crafts will be mostly Seekers (maybe in higher difficulty
levels it will use Acolytes/ACVs), usually 7 to 10, covering 3 or 4 Cruise
Missiles; do not bother to engage them with your Capital Ship, use the ACVs
instead. You might lose a Frigate or two to Cruise Missiles, so keep the ACVs
before your main strike force or engage the Missiles only. Keep the Kuun-Lan
moving, until it reaches a 100% accurancy. Fire the second shot. The Beast will
be badly damaged this time, ready for a relatively quick kill by massed Capital
Ship fire.
Move your Capital Ships close to the MotherShip and finish it. Ignore the
fighters it will release (Seekers and Cruise Missiles; if you're lucky enough
the Missiles will be destroyed as soon as they exit the Hanger by your
Multi-Beam Frigates or slam themselves on Super-Capital Ships), and be prepared
for the explosion. The shockwave will damage your ships, and it is better to
move the Frigates away to avoid stupid losses. Strike Crafts will be
obliterated, so keep the ACVs near the Kuun-Lan.
Now it is time to destroy the Naggarok. Before jumping to the next mission, be
sure to collect all resources in the area (especially crystals), you'll may
need them for the next mission. If you want, retire your Workers to free some
SUs. If you have a Processor...well, you cannot retire it, so you can choose
between keeping it as an escort for the Kuun-Lan or destroy it with your ships.
If the Ion Frigates and Revelation-class Destroyers survived, do not retire
them: they do use SUs but give you some extra firepower (especially the
Destroyers).
MISSION 17: NAVAL BASE ALPHA
Mission Objectives:
+ Destroy the Naggarok
+ Destroy the repulsor field emitters
+ Destroy the Nomad Moon
+ Recon the unknown hyperspace signatures
Here we are. The final battle against the Beast.
The Imperialist Taiidan and a large Beast fleet is attacking the Republican
base, and the Beast already took control of the Nomad Moon. Republican fleet is
overwhelmed, and seems that the Beast wants to destroy any opposition. When you
enter the system, you request informations about this weapon, but Cruise
Missiles destroy the Carrier before it can send any data. (BTW, I want to know
why the Kuun-Lan identified itself as a WarShip... ;)
Swith the sensor display. You will notice several Beast ships attacking a small
group of Republican Taaidan. Use the Siege Cannon to destroy small crafts (with
100% accurancy Strike Crafts and Frigates will be destroyed or badly damaged),
and send your Super-Capital Ships to finish all survivors. You'll encounter an
Heavy Cruiser. You can use a EMP burst or simply concentrate fire on it.
Begin to move your fleet, including the Kuun-Lan. Several group of ships will
attack you. Keep the Capital Ships as a spearhead, and at least five ACVs to
guard the other ships from fighter assaults. The Beast will use Cloacked
Fighters as well, so it's better to keep a Seeker near the Command Ship to
detect incoming cloacked crafts. The Beast will send a lot of Frigates, and
seldom Heavy Cruisers backed up by fighters (prepare to fend off strafing runs
staged by Attack Bombers, Missile Corvettes and Interceptors). Do not esitate
to use the Siege Cannon to kill the Cruisers' escorts, the Ships will be able
to concentrate on the Cruisers and finish them quickly.
Your target, the Naggarok, is directly in front of you, but send a Recon or a
Mimic to scout the exact position of the Nomad Moon and the Beast. The Nomad
Moon is the large spherical object, and the four smaller spheres are repulsor
filed emitters; the Naggarok is behind the Moon, and there are two Beast
Carriers near the Republican weapon, plus one Carrier. Each of these vessels
has full escort of Strike Crafts, and the Carriers will continue to produce
Hive, Multi-Beam, Ramming and Ion Array Frigates. After your Recon spotted the
Naggarok and the Moon, a huge repulsor field will be fired by the station,
killing your Seeker if it wasn't infected by the Beast. With this repulsor
field on line, no enemy ships will be able to attack the Moon or the Naggarok:
the repulsor field will force your ships away and will damage them (Capital
Ships too). Do not fire the Siege Cannon, the repulsor field will deviate the
shot, in most cases directly on the Kuun-Lan (with such a shot, you will lose
all modules and any Strike Crafts positioned near your Command Ship).
Begin to move near the Moon, but leave at least 70/80 KMs between you and the
Kuun-Lan. Keep your Capital Ships near the Kuun-Lan; you will be attacked by a
lot of ships: the AI will throw you several groups of ships, with different
timings: four Ion Array Frigates, 2 Hive Frigates, 2 Ramming Frigates, 8
Missile Corvettes plus 1 Defense Field Frigate, 6 Cruise Missiles.
Produce 10/15 ACVs, and send them to find out the Proximity Sensors. Stationary
as always, these Sensor are the only things that alerts the Nomad Moon of enemy
Strike Crafts in the area. There are only two sensors, located in the frontal
area of the Moon. When the Senosrs are gone, the only way to destroy the
emitters is to slam some MCVs onto them: the Capital Ships are detected by the
Moon itself, and they will be repulsed an then attacked by the Heavy Cruiser
and its escort (some Missile Corvettes), and unmasked crafts will be destroyed
by the Cruiser and its escort. You'll need 11 Quantum Charge-equipped MCVs to
destroy the one emitter.
After the emitters, you must destroy the Nomad Moon, but before you have to
kill that Cruiser (if you didn't it before) and its escort. Meanwhile, fire the
Siege Cannon (as target choose the Nomad Moon, the Naggarok is now
invulnerable), and send one Destroyer (I used a Revelation class, keeping my
Deacons for the end...) near the first crystal at your left. Tactical says the
firing on such a large crystal depot will cause a major explosion. The best way
to destroy the Nomad Moon is to use the Siege Cannon combined with 2 or 3
Destroyers. Keep away most of Capital Ships from the Moon, or you will have a
rude awakening.
When the Moon is down to 50% health, an Imperial fleet will arrive in the area
ordering to surrender. Ignore it. Near the crystal field, Tactical will pick up
other hyperspace signatures, and orders you to send a Seeker and see what kind
of ships are. They are Beast ships.
Wait until the Carrier is near the crystal field, and use the Destroyer to blow
a single crystal. The shockwave caused by the explosion will destroy all other
crystal, and hopefully the whole Beast fleet.
After the Moon, you should go after the Naggarok, but the alien ship will eat
one of your Capital Ships. Regroup the remaining ones and form a defensive wall
between the Kuun-Lan and the Naggarok.
The Bentusi will jump over your Command Ship, and will send you datas aboput
their Super Acolytes. Build 10 fighters, but maintains at least 10 ACVs (I
reccomend 15), 1 Dreadnought and 4/5 Destroyers.
The Taiidan fleet will retreat from battle, leaving only the Beast to destroy.
Before attempting to attack the Naggarok, you must research a way to eliminate
its anti-inertial drive.
If you do not blow at the righ moment the crystals, you'll have to face 3 Heavy
Cruisers with full escort, plus one Carrier that was hiding behind the Naggarok
(you can attack it before, but this will trigger the Imperialis fleet event).
The Naggarok will come near you to consume one of your Capital Ships (does it
must recharge itself?), and then will move to the edge of the map. This
"recharge" occurs once every minute, so be quick to build 15 ACVs to EMP it and
10 Super Acolytes to provide additional firepower to your Capital Ships when
the Naggarok comes to eat.
Replace the "cosumed" ships with Multi-Beam Frigates, Destroyers or Super
Acolytes. Dreadnoughts will take too much time, and other crafts will be
useless against the Naggarok.
The first time I used a single EMP burst fired by 15 ACVs, the Naggarok
retreated to repair its drive, and four Heavy Cruisers jumped into the area.
Send your Super Acolytes to intercept the Cruisers and their escort (5/6
Multi-Gun Corvettes for each vessel) toward the nearest. With ten Acolytes you
should be able to destroy two Cruisers and their escort. The other two Cruisers
will be on your Command Ship, and the remaining Capital Ships will destroy them
if you can concentrate their fire on a single unit per time.
Then send the ACVs for an EMP burst. After an EMP burst, the Naggarok will
retreat to be repaired by Workers. Before destroying the Worker, use the EMP on
the Naggarok. The Beast vessel will begin to move toward your Capital Ships;
attack it with everything you have, including Carriers and the Kuun-Lan. I was
lucky enough to destroy the Naggarok when it was eating the second Capital
Ship. I really don't know if after the second time other Cruisers will jump,
but they weren't so hard to take down (thanks to the Super Acolytes), so you
can afford that risk.
Jae9970@cs.com sent me a particular tactic to destroy the Naggarok:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
To beat the Naggarok at the last mission, there is an easy way.
I built like 180 normal acolytes; it'll take some time and resources so it's
good to prepare for it prior to the last mission. Them with thise massive bunch
of acolytes, fire the missiles at the Naggarok when it comes back to you. In my
case, the Naggarok had about a half of its health and it was finished by that
single attack.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment: if a single missile does 420 DPs, the damage done by 360 missiles (two
missiles fired by each Acolyte) will be around 150,000 points, enough to
destroy even the Beast MotherShip. It is possible that the Naggarok can be
destroyed by a single blast, though support from Super Acolytes will remove any
doubt.
Marc Fletcher (haelix42@hotmail.com) has an other idea, this time about the two
emitters above and below the Nomad Moon:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi,
I was reading over your cataclysm strategy, and I just wanted to share an
alternate tactic for destroying the emitters around the nomad moon.
I found that a few leechs could easily sneak in and drain the emitters of their
energy, it would probably cost less than self destructing MCVs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Oter side notes: it is possible that Beast Cruisers won't jump into the battle,
as it is possible that the Taiidan will attack the Beast fleet and the Naggarok
instead of retreating. The Naggarok will eat their ships too and remember that
the Heavy Cruisers and the Carriers (2 and 1, respectively) brought into the
battle by the Taiidans can be infected.
Also, you can ignore the ACVs and send large numbers of Super Acolytes to
follow the Naggarok while your Capital Ships destroy all other enemy vessels.
If the Naggarok spends time in eating Taiidan ships, it could be a good chance
to use the Siege Cannon: a Destroyer isn't enough to fully satisfy the massive
ship, and it will look for other ships. It is dangerous if you have your ships
nearby, but it's another chance.
Also, If the Taiidan joined the battle, the Naggarok itself will produce Cruise
Missiles to infect all possible vessels and do additional damage; a Taiidan
Destroyer is enough for 6 Missiles, to watch out.
General tactics for very hard difficulty by David Brower
(David.Brower@oracle.com)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
My comments are based on a play-through in 'very hard'. My general
hints are Do not follow directions from tactical. Aggressive salvage
and leeching are your friends. The Kuun-Lan can defend itself, and is
very mobile.
Mission 6
This is the turning point for the game; play it well and
slowly, and the rest is in the bag. It is critical that
you do not listen to directions by tactical in the game, which
will provoke combat you can easily and profitably avoid.
1. Have any workers you have repair the caal-shto; do not
send them out to work. DO NOT MOVE. DO NOT GUARD THE
Caal Shto!
2. Park a mimic by the base.
3. Send two packs of as many acv's as you can build between
you and the base. Build all the support units you can.
3. Send a recon out to the end and discover the cruiser.
Loop out to the right, and don't go in a straight line.
This will avoid most of the mines.
4. Finding the Cruiser enables leech research. Research them
and build gobs (20-40) of them.
5. Maybe move a processor mid-way to support the acvs and the leeches.
6. Attack all recon waves with the ACVs. Keep building ACVs as they
get hit. Do not let the recon waves get near the Kuun-Lan or the
Caal-Shto.
7. Send leeches to up to the base, and patiently leech (in leech mode)
all the support frigates by the carrier. When they are done leeching,
vent to destroy them, using one leech per ship to vent.
8. Then do the same to the carrier,
9. Then to all other capital ships at the base.
10. Then to the bunch behind the base.
11. Then to the bunch behind that bunch.
At this point, you will have reduced the base to things that
will not be coming out to get you, and you will have leeched
many many thousands of RUs. Wasn't that nice?
NOW proceed slowly up the designated path, cleaning out mines and
opposition with ACVs. Don't rush. Be sure to have 6 workers
available, and quite a few SUs (I forget how many, 40?) Send leeches
to the Cruiser and drain it, but not kill it. Move 10 leeches and a
recon up to the edge of the map between the base and the cruiser.
Attack the cruiser's escorts with ACVs, and while it is distracted,
salvage it with your workers. This will trigger arrival of two
destroyers and escorts from near the base; attack the destroyers with
leeches, repair the cruiser, and attack the destroyer's escorts with
ACVs and the cruiser. Capture the two destroyers. (You will have SU
problems - retire some things).
Now repair and send the cruiser and the destroyers to clean up the
base. While this is going on, send your workers off harvesting; when
they have cleaned out everything of value you can prepare for the next
level.
When you are done, you will have } 100,000 RUs, about 20 ACVs,
a cruiser and two destroyers. Resources will not be an issue
for the rest of the game, and you will have plenty of firepower.
Don't bother using workers to harvest in any later levels until
all opposition has been crushed. Save them for repairs, and keep
them docked most of the time to keep them out of harm's way. You
will rarely need/want more than 4 workers from here on.
As you exit the level, you probably want 0 workers, your heavies,
and as many ACVs as you can make.
Mission 7
You can't save all the colony ships, and you will be glad you have
your heavies when it's time to take the infected ones out.
Harvest after the attacks are over.
Mission 8.
Easy. You have heavies to damage them. You'll need 4-6 workers.
The big problem here is SU's -- you may need to retire some ACVs.
Mission 9.
This is still hard. Keep your heavies near you and travel in
a group, with the Kuun-Lan in "normal" or "evasive" posture.
Keep all strike craft docked, except maybe some workers.
Mission 10.
You have the power; send everything up to the cannon
as fast as they will go and you will have no problems.
Move the Kuun-lan up near the cannon, and keep your fleet
together.
When the ariving fleet attacks you and breaks off, pursue the cruiser
with destroyers and take it out. This makes life easier later.
Destroy anything heavy you can before taking on the mothership.
Mission 11.
You have the firepower. Move your destroyers and Cruisers
to the end, and clobber the enemy fleet as it appears. Take
out the ion array frigates, then the carrier, then the rest.
When you get the chance, build up a beefy fleet of carriers
and destroyers. Forget acvs; you don't really need them any more.
Mission 12
You have the power, and the tools. Send leeches to take out
the ion array frigates around the outpost. When they are gond,
crush the fools with your capital ships.
You can kill one destroyer in the raider's rescue mission, but
I don't think it does you any good to have done so.
Be sure to have 6 workers docked in the carriers on exit.
Mission 13
As with mission 6, this looks grim, but is really a wealth of
opportunity! In very hard, there are 4 cruisers and a bunch
of destroyers.
Have your workers (and processor if you have one) repair
the Kuun Laan. Start everything moving 45 degrees to the left,
and send a recon out in your advance.
Your goal here is to damage the first cruiser and capture it.
If you have the chance, it might be good to capture the
missile destroyer, but you will probably be over the SU limit
by the time it turns up.
It is possible to get at least two cruisers here. The race
is to get them before your helpers show up and blow you past
the SU limits. Once you are there, you can't change your
fleet composition except through retirement and self-destructs.
You can clobber the carrier; I am not sure it does you any
good to have done so, however.
Mission 14
Hard. You need to work your way around and take out the sensor
net. Use leeches to take out some of the opposition by the
Naggarok. They won't work on the carrier. Be sure to have
some mimics up your sleeve, docked.
The goal here is to not lose fleet strength you have built up
before, while still accomplishing the mission. The big danger
is cruise missiles that infect your laboriously acquired cruisers.
Don't just give up on them; their SU cost is much less than a
dreadnought, and they are just about as powerful. Similarly
your captured destroyers-- they only take 20 SUs, but cost 38
to replace with new ones.
Mission 15.
Clean up resources before you leave!
Mission 16.
Leeches are your friends, use them to weed out the guard fleet.
You have enough power they will not really threaten you. Don't
take any of the crystals yet.
Move the Kuun Lan and the fleet near the crystal before docking
with the Clee-San, so you can get a siege cannon shot off
just as they appear. Take out the cruiser with your heavies
quickly, then run away, with everything guarding the Kuun-Lan
and it in evasive posture. This strings them out and exposes
them to your rear guard heavies. When the cannon is recharged,
go back and shoot again. You can the cannon moving if you are
in "aggressive" mode.
When you have cleaned out all opposition up the map, then
harvest it clean if you like.
Mission 17
In very hard, the base is guarded by 5 cruisers. The fleet behind
the base comes with one cruiser, one carrier and two destroyers;
the group coming from past the base has 3 infected cruisers; and the
group coming through the crystal field has one cruiser and one carrier.
This is a heavy ship level until the very end. Keep together.
Keep any ACVs you have docked; expose repairing workers carefully.
At the start, race ahead with everything and take out the cruiser
right in front. This will give you three extra destroyers for a while.
Guard them until they foolishly attack the cruisers at the moon. Then
leave them on their own then; they cannot be saved.
[It is possible to save the carrier and it's support frigates, as well
as two of the destroyers if you rescue the carrier with fast (evasive)
destroyers, and the destroyers with cruisers and dreadnoughts.
But the carrier is a liability (it doesn't build ships, add to
your SU limit, and it goes where it wants), so don't bother.]
Try to tease the cruisers at the moon out one at a time; they are
easier to take out that way. If you get 4 at once, you will
have a hard time. You can handle 3 at once, but it will cost
enough you should avoid it if possible. When you get one at a time
they are pussycats.
There are 4 carriers around the moon; move around and kill them
with the siege cannon, before, after or during your weeding of
the cruisers and proximity sensors. Take out any missile frigates
too, depending on how fast you are going.
The crystal field has a tail that you should consider a fuse; light
it when the fleet is in the field, and you will have a weakened
cruiser and a carrier to kill. Park a destroyer near the end
of the fuse when all other opposition has been reduced.
Use destroyers against carriers, as they are faster than any
cruisers/dreadnoughts you have and can run away from them.
Take out the repulsor fields with leeches approaching from above and
below after you have taken out about 1/2 the proximity sensors.
Do not finish off the moon until you have cleaned out all resistance
and the attacking fleets. The trap fleet will not appear until
you attack the moon, after the repulsor is down. Have a destroyer
parked by the tail, have another start to attack the moon, and stop when
the trap fleets appear. Have the rest of your fleet in position to
either clean up the remnants of the crystal field fleet, or the fleet
from behind the moon. Leave the 3 cruiser infected fleet from the far
side for last. Do not attack it with captured ships; they will
get infected.
When you have taken care of ALL these fleets, then finish the moon.
When you have finished off the moon, the only issue is how fast
you can build ACVs and Super acolytes to EMP the Naggarok long
enough for your firepower to take it out. I never got the siege
cannon to work on the Naggarok. Don't go seeking the Naggarok,
it will find you fast enough.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Once the Naggarok is destroyed, game is over.
**************
11-EASTER EGGS
**************
I opened this section after I noticed some citations in the game. If someone
has something to subscribe, mail me at briareos@inwind.it. You will get
credits, of course.
1) Mission 2 movie: between all Taiidan and Higaraan vessels, you can notice a
Worker salvaging the Narcissus, Nostromo's escape pod. What is the Nostromo?
Watch Alien (the first, by Ridley Scott NdB)!
2) The Nostromo is a commercial vessel, the Kuun-Lan too. Both vessels were
assigned to mining or mining-related duties. Both vessels find something that
is unknown in this galaxy, and this thing is very bad, and they are obliged to
pick up those things.
3) In nearly every debris field you can see the forward section of a Corellian
Corvette, the ship escaping from the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Damage in
the first minutes of Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope.
*******************
12-CREDITS and MISC
*******************
The first credit goes to Relic, for Homeworld. Then to Barking Dog Studios for
Cataclysm. The third is to me, Briareos Kerensky (briareos@inwind.it), the
fourth to GameFAQs (and all sites showing this FAQ with my permission) and the
fifth to you for reading it.
For now, no one sent me mails about this FAQ, but if someone writes something
interesting, I will put his or her name here. Here we go:
1)Sebastian Mundt for his help about the Acolytes in mission 4
2)Christoph Holtzmuller for asking for codes (and with this I should have
covered everything about HW:C)
3)Yiulius Leonard for the Taiidan SU/weapon stats.
4)Jae9970@cs.com for his tactic in the last mission
5)I'd like the thank an other guy who did the monumental task to correct all my
mistakes in the Walkthough section, but I've lost the original mail and I'm not
going to correct them (call me stupid sentimentalist, but I like my document as
is even if there are lots of errors...ehy, it was my first attempt to write
things like this!)
6) ¢ ® ì § for his tactics
7)Marc Fletcher for its Leech tactic
8)Johnny Wu for his Multi Beam tactic
9) Pete Morfill for other tactics
10) David Brower for his additional missions tactics
11) Mary Patyten (mpatyten@redshift.com) for additional infos
and everyone else who submitted things for this FAQ.
I would like to thank my computer, which will hopefully find rest after this
X'mas; Yoko Kanno for Cowboy BeBeop soundtrack; Shiro Sagisu for Evangelion
CDs; Dynamic Italy for publishing Evangelion tapes once or twice a year, though
they told us that they would be released once every two months; my dog, a 11
years old boxer (probably he will be death when you will read those lines), for
waking me up at 5:00 AM even on Sunday; the official Cataclysm site for
Tech/Ships' English names; Leader for having translated only game's texts
(knowing how their dubbers mauled MechCommander and Falcon 4.0...); FastWare
for having produced FastPad; I would like to thank my girlfriend, but I haven't
one.
Sites authorized to show this FAQ:
+ GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)
+ WolfArt(http://www.geocities.com/khan_briareos/index.htm visit it, it's my
personal site ;)
+ Esprit Network (http://cataclysm.esprit-str.com), translated in French
+ Video Games Strategies (http://www.gameadvice.com)
+ DHL.Net (http://DLH.Net)
+ Neo Seeker (http://www.neoseeker.com)
+ Action Trip (http://www.actiontrip.com)
+ GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com)
+ The Cheat Empire (http://home.planetinternet.be/~twuyts)
+ Cheat City (www.cheatcity.com)
+ Free Games (www.freegames.it or www.freegames.es), translated in Italian and
Spanish
+ Ahmad Hisyam's website (under cnstruction), only for the ship's stats.
+ www.cheating.de
+ Joseph Bancer's site ({http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/cataclysm)
+ All Abot PC Gaming (http://www.allaboutpcgaming.com)
+ IGN FAQs (http://faqs.ign.com)
To ask permission to post this document, just send a mail writing down the URL.
To contact me, write at briareos_hf@tiscali.it; ICQ UIN is 40534369; Odigo ID
is 264286. Write only about this FAQ or if you have a cute
(female)friend/sister to introduce.
Copyright (c) Briareos Kerensky 2000/2001. Reproduction and translation of
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